The DVSA has changed the process of assessing MOT test stations to reduce disruption and offer more targeted advice to garages.
It said on-site reviews will be changed to become “a more basic compliance check” focusing on actual test results, rather than the systems and processes used in conducting MOTs.
It said garage examiners will, at a minimum, check the authorised ‘entity’ is still running and in control of the garage; that all the equipment is present and in working order; that any vehicles undergoing MOT tests are present at the site; compliance with security requirements and the general appearance of the site.
It added that it will re-inspect one vehicle that has recently been tested at each site.
Off-site reviews – reserved for garages with a good track record – will be changed from a phone call from an examiner to a self-assessment form.
This form will be sent to each VTS’ Authorised Examiner Designated Manager (AEDM) and they will have 14 days to fill and return it to the DVSA.
The DVSA said that the form will only trigger an on-site visit if it has “serious queries”.
The changes have been devised to reduce the time that garages need to prepare for a visit, and to increase how much time the DVSA’s examiners have to offer support.
Alongside the new process, the disciplinary point threshold will be raised from 30 points to 40 from 1 April.
“Our aim is to foster a culture where we can help rectify issues and learn from them, rather than always taking action,” Chris Price wrote on the DVSA’s official MOT blog.
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