Independent Garage Association pushes for MOT fee increase

The Independent Garage Association plans to call on the Government to increase the MOT fee to at least £95.

The IGA said the current fee is unsustainable, with garages not only facing inflation but also cost pressures relating to labour, rent, equipment, fuel, energy, compliance, administration and staff training.

Garage owners said that without an increase to the fee, garages would struggle to cope with the increasing cost burden, with a recent survey of IGA members showing strong support for the increase. The survey also revealed that a growing number are already reducing MOT capacity due to the increasing cost pressures.

Stuart James, Chief Executive of the Independent Garage Association, said: "It is a fact that the current MOT fee has remained static for 16 years. We are being advised by garage owners that without a significant increase to the MOT fee, they cannot continue to sustain this ever-increasing cost burden.

"As the representative body for the independent garage sector, the IGA will continue to challenge the Government to deliver an acceptable resolution to this issue before it causes a level of consumer detriment."

There is no legal minimum fee for an MOT test in the UK. Garages can legally charge anything from zero to a maximum limit set by the government. The maximum fee for a car is currently £54.85. Tests for motorcycles cost up to £29.65, and vans (up to 3,500kg) cost up to £58.60. The fee has remained unchanged since 2010.

The IGA plans to state its case for the increased fee in upcoming Government talks.