Government to retain yearly MOT tests

THE YEARLY MOT test will continue after the Government backed down on the idea of making vehicle check-ups less frequent.

Campaigners lobbied against the proposal to introduce two-yearly inspections, warning of safety concerns and leading to “many more” fatalities on the UK’s roads.

Transport Secretary Justine Greening said she had decided to maintain the status quo, which had been under threat in a review.

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She set out a series of measures designed to improve the service offered by garages after official figures showed more than a quarter of tested cars had defects missed or wrongly assessed.

Among the suggestions are online review sites, expanding industry codes of practice to include MOTs, improving the information held on MOT certificates and sending in “mystery shoppers”.

“Our garages are crucial to ensuring that Britain’s roads continue to be among the safest in the world,” Ms Greening said.

“Most are doing good work but the latest data shows that there is room for improvement.”

A group campaigning against the change, including motoring organisations like the AA and RAC, garages and road safety campaigners, welcomed the decision.

Co-ordinator Bill Duffy, chief executive of Halford Autocentres, said: “Reducing the frequency of MOTs would have been dangerous, expensive and unwanted, and we welcome the Government’s sensible decision today to drop the idea.”