Independent Garage Association call for first MOT fee increase in 16 years – could motorcycle MOTs rise too?
The IGA says the current MOT fee cap is no longer sustainable after 16 years without an increase. Motorcycle MOTs may also be caught up in any future review.
The Independent Garage Association (IGA) is calling on the Government to increase the maximum price that can be charged for an MOT, warning that the current fee cap has been frozen for so long that testing is becoming increasingly difficult to justify financially.
The IGA says it has written to both the Department for Transport and HM Treasury urging an urgent review of the MOT fee for Class 4, 5 and 7 vehicles. Those categories cover everything from passenger cars and light vans to minibuses, larger commercial vehicles and goods vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes. That doesn’t include motorcycles, which are either Class 1 for under 200cc, or Class 2 for over 200cc. That said, any wider review of MOT pricing could still pave the way for changes to motorcycle test fees in the future. The current maximum charge for a Class 4 MOT has remained at £54.85 since 2010, despite rising operating costs across almost every aspect of the motor trade.
According to the IGA, garages are now facing significantly higher labour costs, energy bills, rent, equipment costs, compliance requirements and administrative overheads than they were when the fee was last reviewed 16 years ago.
The renewed call comes just days after the DVSA confirmed increases to MOT fees for heavy goods vehicles, buses, coaches and trailers, with no corresponding rise announced for cars, vans or motorcycles.
The trade body says some garages are already choosing to devote workshop space to more profitable repair work instead of MOT testing, reducing the overall number of testing bays available across the country.
Stuart James, CEO of the Independent Garage Association, said members are increasingly questioning whether carrying out MOTs remains commercially viable.
“Our members are advising us that the current situation, relating to the stagnant MOT fee cap, is leading to garages setting up their facilities to prioritise more profitable work, reducing the number of bays available for MOT testing and therefore reducing the national capacity.
“We need to ensure that independent garages are able to prioritise the availability of workshop facilities and resources for this vital service. If the MOT does not remain economically viable for garages, this would have a significant impact on consumer choice with regards to accessibility, locality and convenience of available MOT test stations.”
We've contacted the IGA to ask whether its push for higher MOT fees is intended to include motorcycle tests and, if so, whether bikers could see the cost of an MOT rise as a result. At the time of writing, it has not responded.
Whether ministers are prepared to reopen the debate remains to be seen, but with the fee cap having stood still for more than a decade and a half while garage running costs have climbed sharply, it looks increasingly likely that pressure for an increase isn't going away anytime soon.
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Simon (AKA Toad) has been working within the motorcycle industry for more than twelve years, and a member of the motorcyclist family since birth. Growing up around British-built single and twins, it was inevitable that a life on two wheels was on the cards, from a very early age!
