COMPLIANCE CHECKS


• In the event of any social media outbursts by the public against drivers, we always see a screenshot of the gov.uk vehicle checker page declaring that the vehicle should not even be on the road as it is not MoT’d and therefore not roadworthy.


• In the event of a breakdown which requires recovery, the recovery company may refuse to recover the vehicle, as it is not MoT’d, as such they are not insured to collect it.


• When it comes to resale of a vehicle, the valuation can be rendered almost non-existent, not so much due to high mileage, but due to the fact that it has no MoT history at all.


• The biggest of them all; in the event of a vehicle being suspended during a roadside compliance check, even for something minor such as a top light bulb not working, or the vehicle signage is missing or defaced (none of which have anything to do with roadworthiness); that vehicle may not legally be driven away from the scene, as it has no MoT, and now does not even have the exemption from needing an MoT, it is instantly unroadworthy.


A COMPLIANCE TEST IS MORE SEVERE THAN AN MoT!


We hear quite often from local authorities, but in fact this is not the case at all, that the tyres must have 2mm thread where the national standard is 1.6mm. This begs the question, just how heavy are those plates that you issue? Do you need a forklift truck to deliver them? Since that appears to be the only possible or “reasonably necessary” justification for a vehicle (Toyota Avensis for example) needing to have a deeper tyre tread depth than any other Toyota Avensis, purely because it has a council issued licence plate attached.


In fact, we have received evidence of council run testing stations not even meeting the MoT standards, violating insurance conditions and being in breach of health and safety regulations.


THAT IS A SERIOUS ALLEGATION!


It is indeed, but it is not just an allegation, it is fact and we do have the evidence to support it, including video evidence of offences that have been


PHTM MAY 2023


committed. These include making the driver sit in the vehicle whilst it is being tested, even whilst elevated on the ramp!


So not only are they most definitely not a higher standard, but they are not even meeting an acceptable standard.


It is only right and proper to say that not all council testing stations are this bad - it is only a minority. Just as we see in council press releases or local newspaper articles reporting on the results of roadside compliance checks where it is only a fraction of licensed drivers casting a dark cloud over the trade; although the press reports rarely highlight this fact.


PAY EXTRA TO GET AN MoT CERTIFICATE!


Well of course drivers can pay more but they shouldn’t have to. The vehicle roadworthiness has just been checked during the compliance test, why repeat the same test?


Why pay an extra fee when the MoT means more than the compliance test does? Why not just issue both documents together?


Just to reinforce the lack of consistency here, we have heard testers say they cannot perform both tests together, and yet that is exactly what happens in most cases.


Remember, the compliance test is merely visual, for example is the vehicle the right colour? If you cannot see the colour of the vehicle on approach, you should not be driving, let alone testing vehicles. Is there a first aid kit and fire extinguisher (where required), you need to open the boot to check the spare wheel, if you cannot see them, see above.


Compliance is local only, MoT is national.


Our industry has already been hit hard by the effects of the government’s response to Covid, the cost-of- living crisis, fuel costs and also from fee increases, having to undertake new courses and of course Clean Air Zones.


Work with us, support your trade, help them recover.


THE TIME IS NOW!!! 35


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80