Brian Spratt, chief executive of the IAAF, said: “This is a victory for common sense. I am sure the efforts put in by IAAF members who have been contacting their MPs, arranging site visits, and signing up on the IAAF’s ePetition on the government’s website, have all helped carry the argument to this successful conclusion. I thank all of them for their support.

“We have always held the view that none of the current codes directly regulate the quality of the repair made by a garage, they are primarily ‘customer friendly’ codes.  All welcome in their way, but the ATA accreditation of technicians who are working on the vehicles has a more direct affect on the effectiveness of the garage in servicing cars.”

Alec Murray, RMI chairman, said: “It is positive that after much speculation that MoT frequency will not feature in the review. The RMI have always been against any change to MoT frequency on the grounds that it is unnecessary and poses considerable safety issues.

“By retaining the current system the Government has cut the risk of the additional road deaths and injuries that would have potentially occurred with a move to less frequent testing.

“The RMI along with other trade bodies have been engaged with the DfT for some time on the wider issues around the current test and continue to view the review as a positive step. There are many areas of the MoT that could be improved and we have been in discussions with the DfT to air our views on what positive changes could be made.

“We will continue to work with Government throughout the review to ensure the interests of our members and consumers are best represented.”

Bill Duffy, co-ordinator of the Pro-MOTe campaign and CEO of Halford Autocentres said:

“Reducing the frequency of MOTs would have been dangerous, expensive and unwanted, and we welcome the Government’s sensible decision today to drop the idea. Ministers

“The proposal to reduce MOT frequency was opposed by organisations across the board, from industry to road safety campaigners to insurance companies and others.  Their support for Pro-MOTe and its objective was a major factor in persuading Ministers that the maintenance of annual MOTs was the right way forward.

“We look forward to working with Government on how to make the MOT test better and to ensure consumers receive the best customer service.”

Steve Fulford, chairman of The Parts Alliance said: “We would like to thank everyone involved in the campaign and especially Bill Duffy for his tireless commitment .”

Paul Everitt, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders said: “Industry welcomes the decision by government to retain the existing MOT test regime, supporting the need to keep road safety a top priority.

“Government will encourage garages to take up industry codes of practice to ensure a consistent and high quality approach to testing, thereby building consumer confidence and satisfaction.

“Industry will continue to work with the OFT-backed consumer protection scheme, Motor Codes, to play its part in improving standards across the service and repair sector.”

Bob Sockl, chief executive of FIMI, said: “Didn’t we do well? Six months ago, I would have put money on a silly result, but Justine Greening seems to have come to a sensible conclusion, no doubt influenced by Mike Penning.

“Now we can get on with having a good year for your business. Congratulations all round.”

Julie Townsend, deputy chief executive of road safety charity Brake, said: “This is very welcome news from the Transport Secretary. The annual MOT is vital to road safety, and the government has recognised that; reducing its frequency would have inevitably meant more lives needlessly lost and more terrible injuries. As a charity that supports people who have been bereaved or injured on roads, we know only too well the appalling devastation that results from poor vehicle maintenance.”

Edmund King, president of the AA, said: “The AA is delighted that the Transport Secretary has listened to the views of AA members who support the annual frequency of the MOT test.  We also welcome the decision to include mileage information on MOT certificates, which will help people buying used cars understand their history.

“There are other ways the MOT can be improved and we will be polling our members to seek their views on making the test more relevant to today’s motoring.”

As well as announcing the decision to scrap any change in the 3-1-1 interval for MOT inspections, Transport Secretary Justine Greening also outlined a range of measures to improve standards and confidence in the test.

“I want to go further and make it easier for consumers to take action if they have not received the service they need from MOT testers. Further short term steps I am therefore taking are to:

Engage the key motoring organisations in surveying their members over the next few months to determine the most significant and frequent problems they encounter at garages, how transparent and consistent charging and service standards are and what examples of best practice customer service they have experienced – and to publish their results.

Identify and work with organisations able to carry out mystery shopper exercises that could supplement those which VOSA already carry out as part of their targeted supervision of the scheme.

Work with the Motorists’ Forum to establish a sub-group to bring together a broad range of relevant motoring and industry organisations, such as the MOT Trade Forum, to help deliver the package that follows;

Over the next six months my Department will carry out the following actions:

So that consumers can be confident that the garage they choose has signed up to deliver to the highest standards, we will work with the industry and stakeholders to encourage much wider adoption of existing Codes (such as that provided through the SMMT and Motor Codes Ltd) and to develop those Codes to include MOT testing services.  Our ambition is that it should be the norm for garages to comply with such Codes.

In order to make more information available to help motorists know how the scheme is supervised, which garages perform well and which less well, we will review the MOT data gathered by VOSA and – informed by the surveys above – further improve transparency.

We will also work with industry, motoring organisations and others to make it easier for consumers to give feedback on their experiences of garages in a transparent way that others can view, and to boost awareness of existing consumer feedback tools.

We will help motorists to spot clocked vehicles by arranging for MOT test certificates to show mileage information for the last three years, and encouraging car buyers to check the full MOT history of vehicles by accessing online the authoritative MOT database.

To help motorists know how long wear and tear items such as brakes and tyres are likely to last after an MOT test, we will work with the MOT trade initially to consider whether to adjust the MOT technical test standard.

I see the above package of measures as an important element in our overall road safety policy, alongside delivering increased confidence and value for money for motorists having their vehicles MOT tested or serviced. I expect more ideas and measures to develop once the Motorists’ Forum subgroup is established, and there will be opportunities for all interested parties to contribute to the debate.”

“Maintaining vehicle road worthiness and servicing is one of the most important costs of running a car for most motorists.

I am today announcing the Government’s intention to work with industry and motoring organisations to improve the motorist’s confidence and experience when they have to take their car, motorcycle or other private vehicle to a garage.

Motorists are generally not experts in the mechanics, electronics or component parts of their vehicles — what matters to them is that the vehicle is safe to be on the road, that they are paying a reasonable price and that what they are paying for is necessary work carried out to a good standard.

Motorists want reliable servicing and MOTs from garages they trust and it is in the interests of reputable garages to deliver to a high quality.

Almost every motorist has to visit a garage or other authorised testing station at least once a year for their vehicle to undergo an MOT test — and for many people, that minimum statutory spot check of a vehicle’s roadworthiness is either combined with an annual service or leads to repairs and further work.

Each year in Great Britain some 35 million MOTs take place at some 21,000 authorised premises — the annual cost to motorists of the test alone is in the region of £1 .5 billion. The UK car service and repair sector is worth around £9 billion per year to the GB economy.

The garage sector is regulated in several ways. The sector has to comply with business laws and consumer protection legislation. The MOT scheme is regulated by the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) of the Department for Transport.

Self-regulation has an important role to play also. For example, around 6500 garages self-regulate their customer service through the Motor Codes Ltd Code on Service and Repair which has full approval status under the OFT Approved Codes System. And nearly 1000 garages have been accredited with the BSI Kitemark scheme for automotive services.

The package of measures I am announcing today does not duplicate these existing controls and arrangements. But they will add value for the motorist and enhance their experience when having to deal with garages whether for an MOT test or more generally.

I am taking two immediate steps today. Firstly, having listened closely to the very many views put forward and considered the available evidence, I have decided that I am not going to carry out further work in relation to relaxing the first test date or the frequency of testing.

Secondly, I am publishing for the first time today information gathered by VOSA about the standards of MOT testing. VOSA’s MOT compliance survey 2010/11 showed that, despite large parts of the MOT test being subjective, 88% of testers were applying correct and consistent standards. There were 12% of testers who had their overall assessment of the vehicle’s roadworthiness challenged by VOSA, suggesting there is still room for improvement. Publication of this data represents a considerable increase in transparency on the accuracy of MOT tests.”

Government proposals to extend MOT test intervals from the current system of 3-1-1 have been scrapped in favour of a drive to improve standards with codes of conduct and additional mystery shopping.

Previously unpublished figures from VOSA show that 27.7% of cars tested in 2010-2011 had defects missed by MOT stations, and are key to the decision to stick with the 3-1-1 system. The data also shows that one in eight cars were incorrectly assessed by MOT stations in 2010-2011.

Transport Secretary Justine Greening said the focus instead would be to work with industry, motoring organisations and consumer groups to focus on the reliability and standards of garages. It also wants to provide a user-generated review system of MOT stations.

“Our garages are crucial to ensuring that Britain’s roads continue to be among the safest in the world. Most are doing good work but the latest data shows that there is room for improvement,” said Greening.

“I want each motorist to be confident that a visit to the garage ends with their car repaired to a high standard by reputable mechanics rather than uncertainty about cost and the quality of service.

“Giving drivers the very best information about garage performance is absolutely key to achieving this goal. It means that responsible garages will be well placed to reap the commercial benefits of transparency. Garages where performance is not up to scratch will find themselves under pressure to do more for their customers.”

Andrew Page breaks ground in Derbyshire

Andrew Page is breaking ground on its new National Distribution Centre in Derbyshire.

The 100,000 square foot site will support the company’s continued expansion plans, and will be built on the Markham Vale Business Centre site in Derbyshire.

Construction on the new site begins in February, with the company hoping it will be fully operational by the summer.

Andrew Page has seen a period of expansion and growth in recent months, the company currently has 62 branches nationwide, employing 1,600 people.

The site could open up as many as 120 jobs for the local community.

“Markham Vale is an ideal location for our national distribution facility”, said Andrew Page Managing Director Mark Roberts

“It will support our expansion plans and our aspirations as a leading supplier of quality parts and components to our growing list of trade customers.”

Your business gets a market boost

Franchised dealers look set to loose over £85 million in business before 2013.

The latest report from Castrol Professional suggests that over the next two years franchised dealers will loose almost four percent of their current business. That lost business equates to £85.6 million.

Castrol says the primary reason for the shift in market share is a combination of weak new car sales and an increasing awareness of bargains in the independent sector.

Another factor, says Castrol, is that the number of cars on the road less than five years old will continue to decline. Therefore the profits franchises can make on these newer cars will also decrease.

The trend is nothing new to the aftermarket, and the independent sector has been gaining market share from franchised dealers for months.

Castrol’s Nigel Head said: “With franchised dealership aftersales revenue from cars under five years old set to shrink, customer retention will become even more important.”

Head commented that franchises need to work harder on their aftersales service to keep customers coming back.

Bosch Automotive Aftermarket is in the final stages of buying a specialist tools developer in the US for $1.15 billion.

SPX Corporation, based in Michigan manufactures and sells diagnostic and service tools, workshop equipment and software for the automotive aftermarket.

The purchase is the largest in the history of the Bosch Automotive Aftermarket division.

Bosch hopes that the acquisition of SPX Service Solutions will make it one of the leading providers of diagnostic solutions in the global aftermarket.

Although it is still subject to normal closing conditions and approval from the authorities, the sale is expected to be completed within the next few months.

President of the Bosch Automotive Aftermarket Division Robert Hanser said: “The acquisition will allow us to considerably expand our market presence in the diagnostics business, particularly in North America. In addition, we will strengthen our position in Asia Pacific and Europe, especially in our diagnostics business with automakers.”

The new section of BEN's website is free to use

The automotive industry charity BEN has launched an online job finder for the motor trade.

Embedded into the existing BEN website, the Autojobs section helps employers and jobseekers fill their employment needs.

Employers can post an unlimited number of jobs on the site free of charge, and it’s also free for jobseekers to view available jobs.

BEN’s Head of Marketing Ray Diggins said: “As a not-for-profit charity, BEN is pleased to make this service available as a no-cost service. BEN Autojobs is simple and easy to use and already some of the industry’s biggest names are using the site.”

Employers and jobseekers can access the new section here.

Motor Codes has relaunched it’s ‘Garage of the Year’ competition for 2012.

Pre-registration for the competition is now open, ahead of voting which opens on the 24th February.

The competition is free to enter and is open to all garages and workshops in the UK. That includes independents, franchises and fast-fitters, the aim of the competition is to find the UK’s favourite garage.

The competition has been running for a number of years, with Motor Codes setting out to find the best garages in the UK. This year the competition has been revamped to allow separate award streams for larger and smaller workshops. That means a garage with five technicians stands just as much chance of winning as a franchise with 50!

Motor Codes is hoping more workshops than ever before will be taking part this year. The garage code recently won OFT approval in the UK, a big business benefit to its 6,500 members.

Motor Codes Managing Director Chris Mason said: “Since the last competition, we have received fantastic feedback from many garages about the increased business the campaign has driven.  The support from Havoline and the broader award categories will help us make an even bigger impression on the public about the quality of service from Motor Codes garages.”

As well as the chance to generate some fantastic local PR,  a prize fund is also on offer that includes Snap-on vouchers as well as Land Rover and Porsche driving experiences.  As an incentive to customers for taking the time to vote, tickets for this year’s British Grand Prix at Silverstone are up for grabs.

Interested garages can register to take part in the competition on the Motor Codes website.