Your car's MOT test price could almost double to £95 under new proposal

The cost of a car MOT could spiral by almost double if UK garages get their way under new proposals being recommended to ministers. The trade body representing auto garages across the country is calling for the maximum cost of a car MOT test to be hiked from £54.85 to £95 on the grounds that it has become 'unsustainable' for businesses to survive against rising industry costs.The current MOT price cap has been in place since 2010.The Independent Garage Association (IGA) says the £54.85 maximum 'needs to increase significantly'.However, the 73 per cent cap hike suggested is above inflation.According to the Bank of England, the inflation-adjusted cost would be £87.31. Stuart James, chief executive of the IGA, said: '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.' Garages are calling for the maximum cost of a car MOT test to be hiked from £55 to £95 as it is 'unsustainable' at its current price due to rising industry costs The IGA says that soaring 'labour, rent, equipment, fuel, energy, compliance, administration and staff training' costs mean the cost to garages of a MOT currently outweighs the current cap.'Inflation alone makes the current MOT fee unsustainable,' the IGA says.The IGA confirmed earlier this month that it had secured talks with the Government surrounding the price cap, following the announcement last year that it would launch a review.On October 21, the IGA and other industry bodies will meet with the Department for Transport (DfT) to discuss potentially raising the price cap.Currently, government data shows that around 66,000 MoT testers are employed at around 23,000 garages across the UK.Back in October, This is Money reported how the IGA had written to senior officials at the DfT, as well as the Treasury, to make the case for the urgent need to increase the current MOT fee. The IGA's proposed price cap rise would take the increase above the cumulative CPI rate of inflation over the past 16 years, around 66%The DVSA has announced increases to MOT fees for buses, coaches, HGVs and trailers this week, but fees for class 4, 5 and 7 vehicles have not been included as part of these announcements.At the time, Stuart James said: 'Our members are advising us that the current situation, relating to the stagnant MOT fee cap, is leading to garages setting up their facilities to prioritise more profitable work, reducing the number of bays available for MOT testing and therefore reducing the national capacity.'We need to ensure that independent garages are able to prioritise the availability of workshop facilities and resources for this vital service.'If the MOT does not remain economically viable for garages, this would have a significant impact on consumer choice with regards to accessibility, locality and convenience of available MOT test stations.'This is Money has contacted the DfT for comment. The DVSA rolled out new MOT rules this month that require photographic evidence of a vehicle being tested on a ramp. However, former inspectors say this system is 'flawed'This month, new MOT rules have been introduced to combat illegal 'ghost MOTs' – the practice of issuing a fraudulent certificate for a vehicle that has never been inspected and is likely not roadworthy.Experts believe this now accounts for roughly four in five counterfeit MOTs. Starting August 3, the DVSA began a national rollout requiring participating garages to take and upload a photograph of a vehicle during its MOT test. This initial phase targets around 2,500 garages across Great Britain to combat ghost MOTs, which are also known as 'Bluetooth MOTs'.Chris Price, Head of MOT policy, told This is Money last March that testers must upload an image in 'real time' to demonstrate that the right vehicle was present at the time of the test. 'These changes could also help to reduce input errors during the point of testing by autofill,' he told us.However, former MOT testers believe the photo system is flawed and they don't believe the new rules will have a significant impact because those already dabbling in falsified certificates will find workarounds to cheat the system. CARS & MOTORING: ON TEST