MOT rules could be relaxed to put the brakes on cost of living

Government ministers are pushing for significant changes to MOT tests ‘to make them less frequent’ and help people put the brakes on the cost of living crisis.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps is said to have suggested easing MOT requirements at a cabinet meeting in April, meaning tests will only be needed every other year, rather than annually, for cars over three years old.

This would save car owners at most £27.43 per year.

Is that enough to help or is this a bad move?

It could be argued the saving could be outweighed by higher refuelling costs – especially as the price of petrol is astronomical at the minute.

RAC head of policy, Nicholas Lyes, said: “The purpose of an MOT is to ensure vehicles meet a basic level of safety for driving on our roads. Shifting it from annually to every two years would see a dramatic increase in the number of unroadworthy vehicles and could make our roads far less safe.”

The AA also warned that the move could raise repair bills, make roads more dangerous and put mechanics’ jobs at risk.

Jack Cousens, head of roads policy at the AA, added: “Though well-intended, moving the yearly £55 spend on an MOT to every two years could make costs worse for drivers with higher repair bills, make our roads more dangerous and would put jobs in the garage industry at risk.

“Only recently the Government stepped away from switching the MOT to every two years on the grounds of road safety.”

The motor trade also stepped into the argument against making the MOT test every two years, instead urging the Government to reconsider an “ill thought-out and unsafe” proposal.

Where do you stand on this? The plans are designed to bring living costs under control without costing the Government more money – do you think that’s right, or should they be doing more?