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The future of the m.o.t test..

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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I'm With Stupid wrote: »
    Why? The garage wouldn't incur any extra costs, so why should the customer have to pay more?
    The lost revenue from annual testing.all the cars that used to come in for MOT every year would only come in every 2 years,so the number of MOT's in a year would drop by 50%.
    an MOT station exists as a business in its own right and has to be seperate from the garage side.there are running costs to an MOT station just like any other business.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Mad Mac wrote: »
    The lost revenue from annual testing.all the cars that used to come in for MOT every year would only come in every 2 years,so the number of MOT's in a year would drop by 50%.
    an MOT station exists as a business in its own right and has to be seperate from the garage side.there are running costs to an MOT station just like any other business.

    So you think that the government to introduce legislation to artificially increase prices, to keep businesses running? I'm sorry, but if your business isn't profitable enough to survive, then that's no business of the governments, that's your own fault for not running it well enough. Obviously a lot of businesses would increase the cost of other work to cover it, but to suggest getting the government to increase the amount you're allowed to charge for compulsory work is ridiculous. It has a set cost to the mechanic whether you do it once a month, once a year, or once a decade.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I'm With Stupid wrote: »
    So you think that the government to introduce legislation to artificially increase prices, to keep businesses running? I'm sorry, but if your business isn't profitable enough to survive, then that's no business of the governments, that's your own fault for not running it well enough. Obviously a lot of businesses would increase the cost of other work to cover it, but to suggest getting the government to increase the amount you're allowed to charge for compulsory work is ridiculous. It has a set cost to the mechanic whether you do it once a month, once a year, or once a decade.
    Well the MOT scheme is run by the government.so it makes sense to me at least that it has to be profitable?? otherwise how would it work?
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Mad Mac wrote: »
    Well the MOT scheme is run by the government.so it makes sense to me at least that it has to be profitable?? otherwise how would it work?

    The government isn't there to make profits for businesses. And the MOT scheme isn't designed to make profits, it's designed to keep cars safe. But how would it not still be profitable to do an MOT? If it's currently profitable to do an MOT as you claim, and there are no extra costs incurred by you having half as many to do, then it will still be profitable. It's profitable to do an MOT whether you do 1 or 10. If my restaurant has it's business halved, I don't double the prices to make up the difference, I find new sources of income. It's called business. You can't find alternative sources of income, then tough. You can't rely on the government to force people to buy services off you because you're not selling anything the public wants to buy.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I'm With Stupid wrote: »
    The government isn't there to make profits for businesses. And the MOT scheme isn't designed to make profits, it's designed to keep cars safe. But how would it not still be profitable to do an MOT? If it's currently profitable to do an MOT as you claim, and there are no extra costs incurred by you having half as many to do, then it will still be profitable. It's profitable to do an MOT whether you do 1 or 10. If my restaurant has it's business halved, I don't double the prices to make up the difference, I find new sources of income. It's called business. You can't find alternative sources of income, then tough. You can't rely on the government to force people to buy services off you because you're not selling anything the public wants to buy.
    As i have said before an MOT station is a business in its own right and there are many MOT stations that just do MOT's and nothing else.they are not allways attached to a garage.it is these businesses that would suffer the most as the annual profit would half,and therefore would render the MOT station over staffed.
    An MOT station can't diversify,it can only do one thing.....test cars..simple.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Mad Mac wrote: »
    As i have said before an MOT station is a business in its own right and there are many MOT stations that just do MOT's and nothing else.they are not allways attached to a garage.it is these businesses that would suffer the most as the annual profit would half,and therefore would render the MOT station over staffed.
    An MOT station can't diversify,it can only do one thing.....test cars..simple.

    That's like saying that Tesco couldn't diversify. Of course an MOT station can change the way it operates, it's not fixed by law from doing anything else...
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Man Of Kent wrote: »
    That's like saying that Tesco couldn't diversify. Of course an MOT station can change the way it operates, it's not fixed by law from doing anything else...
    i think you'll find that it is.an MOT station is authorised and monitored by VOSA,the bay can only be used to MOT test and nothing else.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I think it's unfortunate but it's the nature of the economy we live in. If there is suddenly less demand for MOTs, then prices will fall as MOT places compete and MOT shops will have to drop out the market. Just the same, if it was the opposite, we'd have more MOT shops pop up. A lot of legislation affects obscure industries but the market is fairly dynamic, and most people do find other employment. How many MOT mechanics couldn't get a job at a regular mechanic shop?
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Yes MOT testers can go to general repair garages,but they shouldnt have to.i find it amazing that nobody seems interested in the safety aspect of this thread??? an MOT tester is saying that this idea isnt safe! yet no one believes it?? because you just think that me and the rest of the trade are just looking after our own interests..it astounds me! it really does.
    If an aircraft mechanic was objecting to changes in safety procedures, i wonder if you'd have the same view?
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I wasn't commenting on the safety, if you see further up I said maybe as a compromise the MOT checks could be more comprehensive rather than a quick glance over to make sure everythings in order.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    ShyBoy wrote: »
    I wasn't commenting on the safety, if you see further up I said maybe as a compromise the MOT checks could be more comprehensive rather than a quick glance over to make sure everythings in order.

    This is the point i'm trying to make.an MOT test is NOT a quick glance over! it involves properly trained testers using the correct equipment to establish a cars state of repair! cowboys in any trade will always get the media attention,but the proffesionals have to pick up the pieces!
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Well, maybe it could be even more thorough, was my suggestion :p. I've never had an MOT, so am just going on hearsay. I supose things like tyre tread need to be checked periodically though. I kinda agree with you...
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Mad Mac - do you think it would be safer to MOT cars based on mileage (e.g every 10 or 15 thousand miles), rather than after a mandatory period of time? It always strikes me as odd that all cars need testing after one year - some people do 40,000 plus miles in that year, while others barely top a couple of thousand. Surely it would be better to insist on testing, based on usage, rather than time?
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Jezzer wrote: »
    Mad Mac - do you think it would be safer to MOT cars based on mileage (e.g every 10 or 15 thousand miles), rather than after a mandatory period of time? It always strikes me as odd that all cars need testing after one year - some people do 40,000 plus miles in that year, while others barely top a couple of thousand. Surely it would be better to insist on testing, based on usage, rather than time?
    A very good point! yes,i do think that it should be based on mileage but would be very difficult to monitor.in theory this is where regular servicing should account for that,but schedules are rarely kept after a car is 3 or 4 years old.i think an MOT every 10000 miles would be ideal but would never happen.
    I see 3 year old cars that come in for first MOT with broken front coil springs.when a coil sring is broken it can coil down and pierce a tyre causing a blow out,and the car has usually only done about 30 odd thousand miles.
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