UK garages are calling for the maximum cost of a car's MOT test to be raised by almost 75%, saying huge increases in their operating costs make the current amount "unsustainable".
The current maximum cost for an annual MOT test, as imposed by the Department for Transport (DfT) in 2010, is £54.85 - but the Independent Garage Association, which represents more than 4500 businesses across the country, says the cap "needs to increase significantly".
It is campaigning for the price cap to be moved up to £95 - an increase of 73.2%.
The industry body says "inflation alone makes the current MOT fee unsustainable" – indeed, £54.85 in 2020 equates to more than £87 today – but cites a raft of headwinds battering the garage industry, which mean "the issue now needs to be addressed urgently".
Other cost pressures faced by garages include increased labour, rent, equipment, fuel, energy, compliance, administration and training costs, says the IGA.
The IGA and other industry bodies will meet with the DfT on 21 October to discuss the fee.
The MOT is mandatory for any vehicle more than three years old (four in Northern Ireland), and government data shows that around 66,000 testers are employed at 23,000 garages around the country to carry out the test.
Roughly 33 million cars undertook the MOT test last year, although it is not possible to ascertain a gross revenue figure for the garage sector as many businesses charge a discounted rate.
The body said it has "strong support" among its members for an increase to the fee, and that "a growing number" are already reducing MOT test capacity in light of the cost constraints.
If action is not taken to redress the balance, the IGA warns that motorists will see extended wait times and reduced choice as garages scale back their MOT offering.
The IGA's chief executive Stuart James said: "“It is a fact that the current MOT fee has remained static for 16 years. We are being advised by garage owners that without a significant increase to the MOT fee, they cannot continue to sustain this ever-increasing cost burden.
"As the representative body for the independent garage sector, the IGA will continue to challenge the Government to deliver an acceptable resolution to this issue before it causes a level of consumer detriment.”
His views were supported by Nick Connor, boss of the Institute of the Motor Industry, who said upcoming changes to annual vehicle inspections will only increase the cost demands: "The MOT test is fundamental to road safety and it is critical that it remains accessible to motorists. However, with MOT garages increasingly facing greater demands, such as the EV mileage checks when the eVED comes into force in 2028, a review of MOT fees is urgently overdue."
