Garages are not required to close during lockdown since the aftermarket has been assigned ‘key worker’ status. This, combined with the delay in MOTs, will lead to a “very busy” fourth quarter of 2020, according to Klarius CEO and former Goodyear UK MD, Mark Brickhill.
A third of UK motorists (32%) have put off getting their car serviced because COVID-19 financial pressure, according to BookMyGarage.com.
BookMyGarage surveyed 10,000 of its subscribers and found that, in addition, a similar number (29%) of drivers delayed servicing procedures simply because their car had covered far fewer miles during lockdown.
Halfords is offering free MOTs at Halfords Autocentres with every interim, full or major service booked, to ensure “vehicles that still need to be on the road are safe to drive during this challenging period”, according to the company.
The combination of increasing demand for MOTs and stricter test criteria look likely to create a boom in demand at garages and for tyres in particular.
After years of post-financial crisis scrappage schemes and investment, the UK car industry got used to boom times and consecutive year-on-year growth.
The way that the MOT test works in England, Scotland and Wales will change from this Sunday. The changes will affect cars, vans, motorcycles and other light passenger vehicles. The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency has published a video in which Neil Barlow, head of MOT Policy at the DVSA, explains what is changing.
Kwik Fit reports that it is seeing fleet demand for its range of mechanical services increasing and is forecasting further growth in 2015. According to the company, the catalyst for growth was the opening of 20 Kwik Fit Plus centres. Indeed, Kwik Fit Plus centres are said to form a key part of parent company Itochu Corporation’s ongoing network-wide multi-million pound refurbishment and modernisation programme.
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