No second MoT extension – for now
As the UK enters various lockdown tiers, the Department for Transport says it has not ruled out a possibility of a second MoT extension.
A DfT spokesperson said: ‘We continue to monitor the situation as it evolves and any further changes made to MoT expiry dates will be made based on the evidence available.’
There are, however, no current plans to extend MoT expiration dates, including those for voluntarily tested tax-exempt vehicles, as happened in the last lockdown. Any car with an expiry date after 30 March 2020 automatically had six months added – but this measure was rescinded on 1 August with no further extensions after that date.
MoT stations are currently suffering a backlog of tests as MoT extensions end; garages spoke of their relief that another test reprieve was not on the cards.
Phil Knowles, owner of The Frodsham Tyre Company in Cheshire, said that the number of MoT tests conducted at his garage had increased markedly in the past two months – owing to cars with lockdown-extended certificates now expiring en masse. He did not want another MoT grace period.
‘We’d rather spread our testing out over the year, instead of being extremely busy doing 16 tests a day. People should have had their cars tested on their 12-month expiry rather than waiting another six months; we’re seeing cars in now that need a lot of work.’
England is currently in lockdown until 2 December, but here, as in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, subject to other devolved lockdown restrictions, MoT stations are able to stay open.
]