MOT Snippets

General MOT news updates and items of interest to the MOT Community

22nd February 2021

No major changes

There have been a few articles appearing in the mainstream media which seemed to suggest there have recently been some significant changes to the MOT. Having spoken to a Senior Executive at DVSA we can confirm that is not the case. All that’s happened is that, rather than using their Tester smartcard, Testers will now be able to use a DVSA App to get on to the system using their mobile phones or via a tablet by receiving a text code which gives access to the system. Alternatively the code can be obtained via an e-mail. Whilst this enables access to the MOT Testing System (MTS) for that day, as with a smartcard, if the Tester works at a different Testing Station, the system will need to be accessed with a new code. Whilst smartcards can still be used, they will no longer be replaced if lost or damaged, which means they will be ultimately phased out of the system – and at some point will be withdrawn from the system in due course.

Linked emission equipment

We have also been told that DVSA plan to facilitate a system enabling appropriate emission equipment to send vehicles’ emissions results directly to the MOT computer, which they expect to have up and running by spring/early summer – with full details to be promulgated in due course. As soon as we hear of any further details, we’ll put it up on the site.

Reminder – keep your MOT consultant informed

For those Testing Station owners and/or Testers who hire a consultant to assist when they face prospective disciplinary action from DVSA (to join our MOT SHIELD Disciplinary MOT Consultancy service click here), it is vital to realise that whilst DVSA have been informed that a consultant is assisting with their response back to DVSA, that doesn’t mean that the consultant will automatically receive copies of  correspondences from DVSA about the case. So any and all communications received from DVSA by Testers or Authorised Examiners concerning a disciplinary case being dealt with by a consultant, MUST always be forwarded to the consultant to make sure he or she has full and complete documentation to provide the best response possible on the case to DVSA.

In some cases, when the AE or NT has not sent vital information to their consultant, assuming that DVSA have sent a copy to the consultant, cessation of Testing has been imposed by DVSA because the consultant was unaware of a vital piece of information, and so wasn’t able to respond to DVSA by a deadline. Don’t let that happen to you!