Drivers ‘confused’ by new MOT test
Analysis Chris Mccall
When the late media baron Roy Thomson launched Scottish Television in 1957, he famously quipped it was a “a licence to print money”.
But STV has endured ups and downs throughout its 61-year history. This is the latest stop in an ongoing journey to position itself as a serious competitor to BBC Scotland.
It was June 2014 when the new STV Glasgow channel was broadcast for the first time, with STV Edinburgh following in January 2015.
The channels were a legacy of former culture secretary Jeremy Hunt, who believed a genuinely local TV network would engage viewers and advertisers. Some industry experts were surprised when STV opted to bid for the two initial licenses available in Scotland.
In April 2017 the two existing city channels were combined with three new licences for Aberdeen, Ayr and Dundee under one distinct brand, STV2.
The new STV2 did not lack talent in front of or behind the camera.
The city channels provided first broadcasting jobs for numerous younger journalists who have since joined the main STV network or went on to other positions in the media. But STV2 was losing money and proved a gamble that ultimately did not pay off for the broadcaster. New MOT test rules coming into force on Sunday are causing confusion among some motorists, a survey suggests.
Some 49 per cent of 1,866 drivers questioned by the RAC mistakenly believe vehicles found to have a “minor” fault will fail the test.
Such a scenario
will actually only be a “pass with defects” that needs to be remedied as soon as possible.
Three new categories of fault are being introduced: dangerous, major and minor.
RAC spokesman Simon Williams said: “Changes to the MOT that make vehicles using our roads safer are undoubtedly a positive step so we hope that testers everywhere interpret and apply the new rules fairly and consistently.
“Thelastthingwewanttosee is a lowering of MOT standards and an increase in the number of unroadworthy vehicles on our roads.”
Another key alteration to the test is stricter limits for emissions from diesel cars with a diesel particulate filter (DPF) which captures and stores exhaust soot. Vehicles will get a “major” fault if the MOT tester can see smoke coming from the exhaust or finds evidence that the DPF has been tampered with.