End of MOT extension ‘will make the roads safer’ – IAAF
The Independent Automotive Aftermarket Federation (IAAF) welcomed the end of the MOT extension period on 1 August. The federation argues that the move will not only significantly increase road safety but will give a much-needed boost to the automotive sector overall.
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IGA, NFDA welcome decision to end MOT extension
The government’s decision to end the six-month MOT extension on 1 August has been welcomed by the Independent Garage Association and the National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA). Stuart James, IGA chief executive comments: We thank the Government for listening to our views. The news will give clarity to garages and allow them to plan for the busy period ahead.
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MOT mandatory again from 1 August 2020
Mandatory MOT tests for car, motorcycle and van owners in England, Scotland and Wales are being reintroduced from 1 August 2020. Vehicle owners with an MOT due date before 1 August will still receive a 6-month exemption Roads Minister Baroness Vere has announced today (Monday 29th June). Crucially, people are able to voluntarily get their MOT sooner should they wish, even if they are exempt from the legal requirement. The news follows reports last week that the government has been consulting trade and industry about ending the MOT extension.
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TRA ‘alarmed’ at proposed Europe-wide ban on rubber infill
Tyre Recovery Association members have called a new proposal to ban the use of tyre-derived rubber infill in sports surfaces as “incomprehensible and counter-intuitive”. The European Chemical Agency (ECHA) wants to ban the reuse of materials containing ‘intentionally added’ microplastics such as tyres from 2028. The TRA estimates that in the course of their service lives, car tyres alone shed some half a million tonnes of micronized rubber annually across the continent of Europe.
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Tyre labelling legislation: New and old labels will co-exist
Following reports at the end of June that the UK government is consulting on current and forthcoming tyre legislation, it is worth taking a closer look and clarifying exactly what rules are passing through the labyrinths of legislative bureaucracy. In short, there are three strands of UK tyre legislation on the table at the moment: minimum standards legislation; current tyre labelling legislation; and forthcoming tyre labelling legislation. Taken together they will likely bring with them the largely unannounced consequence of having both old and new tyre labels in the market at the same time, for a while at least.
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UK government consulting on tyre legislation
Following the news that new European tyre labels come into force on 1 May 2021, the UK government embarked on an “Improving new vehicle safety and environmental compliance plus passenger vehicle digital radio requirement” consultation on 1 June 2020.
Continue Reading Driver attitudes towards 6-month MOT exemption revealed in new survey
Around 40 per cent of drivers won’t be making use of the current six-month MOT exemption, a survey of 2,200 UK drivers has suggested. Just one-in-seven drivers (14 per cent) who responded to the RAC survey said they will make full use of the extra six months added to MOT due dates, with three times that proportion (44 per cent) planning on getting their car checked as normal, despite the impact of the coronavirus.
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Car scrappage scheme would quickly benefit UK economy – GlobalData
A car scrappage scheme to boost UK vehicle sales was reported to be unlikely this week, quelling hopes of a subsidised shift towards electric cars. However, according to Calum MacRae, automotive analyst at data and analytics company GlobalData, such a move would benefit the country’s economy. “Just a few days ago, it seemed that a £6,000 new car purchase incentive scheme was close to being signed-off, but it looks like the Treasury is now considering a wider-ranging fiscal stimulus package that will forego specific incentives for the automotive sector.
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EU tyre label regulation update published
The European Union has published the new tyre labelling regulation, after it was confirmed by a vote in May. Appearing in the Official Journal of the European Union last Friday, the act will now come into effect as planned on 1 May, 2021.
Continue Reading Shapps: MOT extension plans ‘under review’
The Transport secretary, Grant Shapps, has responded to a letter requesting the six-month MOT extension to be reconsidered. The Indepent Garage Association (IGA) asked for the extension to be reassessed with car utilisation increasing after Coronavirus lockdown restrictions were eased. In response, Shapps explained that plans to stop the extension are constantly under review. The IGA said this mirrors the association’s desire to meet the safety measures required to end the MOT extension.
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European Governments must move fast to support auto sector: GlobalData
France recently announced plans to inject more than €8bn into its automotive sector, a measure that Calum MacRae, automotive analyst at GlobalData, believes should be considered across Western Europe. The analyst has forecast that the region will bear the brunt of a global industry that faces a near 20 per cent fall in volume in 2020 due to the impact of COVID-19. While it forecasts global industry to lose nearly 16 million sales in 2020 compared with 2019, West Europe alone will account for more than a quarter of the decline.
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IAAF praises sector as it fights to overhaul MOT extension
The IAAF is continuing to call for the MOT extension to be scrapped and has written to government to get the decision overturned. In various communications with DVSA and Department for Transport, IAAF chief executive, Wendy Williamson said the decision to extend the MOT “will inevitably have a serious impact on road safety as road worthiness can alter greatly during this period. There is also the obvious concern that due to this postponement there could be thousands of vehicles on the road that are dangerous and unroadworthy.”
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PM Johnson boost for Silverstone-hosted F1 grands prix
Silverstone and Formula 1 are facing a race against time to ensure the UK circuit’s two conditionally agreed 2020 grands prix can go ahead in July or August. But the circuit was given a boost by prime minister Boris Johnson, who has reportedly told cabinet ministers to make plans for the events to take place.
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