Skip to main content

UK government backtracking on biennial vehicle tests plan

The current UK government, which pledged to cut bureaucracy, had set its sights on the annual MOT vehicle inspections. “Cars are more reliable and the annual test has not changed in 50 years,” transport secretary Philip Hammond announced. The plan was for vehicle testing every two years instead of annually.
April 18, 2012 Read time: 1 min
RSSThe current UK government, which pledged to cut bureaucracy, had set its sights on the annual MOT vehicle inspections. “Cars are more reliable and the annual test has not changed in 50 years,” transport secretary Philip Hammond announced. The plan was for vehicle testing every two years instead of annually.

Not surprisingly, the motor industry and motoring organisations disagreed. They say that MOT centres are the backbone of road safety, finding 2,500 cars, every single day, that are dangerous to drive.

Now the UK government appears to be backtracking. Hammond has handed the proposed plan down to Mike Penning MP, parliamentary under secretary. “The policy is at its preliminary stages. No costs have been drawn up. No formal consultation has started,” states Anna McCreadie, spokesperson for the Department for Transport.

Related Content

  • ITS UK Awards 2024: and the winners are...
    November 11, 2024

    ITS UK revealed the winners of its prestigious annual Awards at its 18th President’s Dinner last week.

    Organisation president and former UK transport minister Steve Norris presented the trophies across 16 categories.

    "Many congratulations to all the winners of the ITS UK Annual Awards," said Max Sugarman, chief executive of ITS UK.

  • Legalities of in-vehicle systems and cooperative infrastructures
    February 1, 2012
    Paul Laurenza of Dykema Gossett PLLC discusses the paths which lawmakers may go down on the route to making in-vehicle systems and cooperative infrastructures a reality. The question of whether or not to mandate in-vehicle systems for safety and other applications is a vexed one. There is a presumption on some parts that going down the road of forcing systems' fitment is somehow too domineering or restricting. Others would argue that it is the only realistic way of ensuring that systems achieve widespread d
  • Parliamentary council urges UK gov to support EC safety proposals
    May 18, 2018
    A key UK safety body is calling for legislative action on European Commission vehicle safety proposals. The Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS) wants the EC’s third mobility package to be adopted by the UK government. These measures are part of the Juncker Commission’s initiative to implement less polluting vehicles in Europe and provide more advanced technological solutions. This package outlines a new road safety policy framework for 2020-2030 and is accompanied by two legislativ
  • Automatic signal control to prevent emergency vehicle collisions?
    March 14, 2012
    Field trials under way in Arizona promise eradication of accidents between emergency vehicles at intersections – as part of a national focus on ‘intelligent signal’ infrastructure. Collisions between police cars, ambulances and fire crews as they reach intersections at the same time, with equal priority given by all signals set on red, are as serious as they sound absurd. For emergency teams and those in need of their help, the consequences are dire. The solution could come from application of connected veh