MOTs surge during Lockdown 3.0

Demand for MOTs and services surged following the announcement of a third national lockdown.

According to data from BookMyGarage.com, there was an 80% increase in MOT and service bookings for its franchised and independent garages compared to the same period last year.

The surge immediately followed the announcement of a third national Lockdown which allows workshops to remain open as essential services. The government has confirmed there will be no MOT extension.

MOT-only bookings also soared, up by more than 50% when comparing the same period, while 58% of customers instead scheduled a full service alongside their MOT.

Karen Rotberg, co-founder of BookMyGarage.com, said: “The sector has come a long way since the first national lockdown, introducing new processes and improving existing ones to enable contactless vehicle collection and delivery, but the new restrictions will still hurt new car sales.

“Revenue gained from aftersales divisions will again be key, and the need for the franchised sector to develop aftersales market share in the vital Segment 2 & 3 car parc versus the fast-fits is more prominent than ever.”