NTDA chief deplores MOT proposals
The National Tyre Distributors Association (NTDA) has reaffirmed its opposition to the DfT’s plans to possibly extending the first MOT test from three to four years.
NTDA chief executive, Stefan Hay said, ‘This is an unnecessary and ill-advised consultation, which no one called for.’
Hay continued, ‘This subject was thoroughly reviewed over an extended period between 2005 and 2008. The then secretary of state for transport, in consultation with cabinet colleagues, the automotive aftercare market and many motoring organisations, concluded that any change to the current frequency would risk a totally unacceptable increase in road deaths and serious injuries as well as an unacceptable increase in cost to the economy. The NTDA fully endorsed those findings at the time.’
The NTDA does not believe that anything has changed, significantly, since that analysis by the DfT, which was the most comprehensive on the subject ever undertaken and this has been echoed by many of its members.
The DVSA had previously released figures showing that 253,000 cars failed the MOT test between January and August 2013, when presented for the first time after being registered new in 2010. The NTDA suggests deferring the test for a further year would have increased that number.
The NTDA is calling on its members involved in MOT testing to engage and to respond to the consultation which runs until 16 April 2017.
