Yearly MOTs Could Be Scrapped Under New Government Plans

Annual MOTs could be scrapped in a bid to save UK drivers money amid the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.

According to a government proposal, MOT checks could be extended from 12 months to two years, saving motorists just under £55 per year.

The Telegraph reports that Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged ministers to offer up policies to ease the crisis for Brits without costing the taxpayer.

Yesterday, 26 April, a cabinet meeting was held where Transport Secretary Grant Shapps offered up the idea of increasing the length of MOT certificates, which as it stands is required to be carried out once a year for vehicles that are more than three years old.

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A source who attended the brainstorming session told the outlet: “If we moved from an annual check to a check every two years, that is halving the cost of MOT renewal.

"That is a bread and butter policy that shows that the Conservatives are on your side.”

Another idea put forward in the meeting was to increase the number of children each childminder is permitted to look after in one go in order to save parents money.

These policies are set to be reviewed by a cost-of-living committee to see whether they'd work and if they could be applied without costing the Treasury any money.

But the AA has since slammed the MOT proposal, saying it could just end up leading to higher repair bills for drivers.

A spokesman for the group told The Telegraph: “Though well intended, moving the yearly £55 spend on an MOT to every two years could make costs worse for drivers with higher repair bills, make our roads more dangerous and would put jobs in the garage industry at risk.

“Only recently the Government stepped away from switching the MOT to every two years on the grounds of road safety, while AA polling shows overwhelming support from drivers who like the security that an annual health check provides.

“The MOT now highlights major and dangerous defects too, showing how important it is to keep cars in a safe condition.”

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The news arrives as the UK continues to grapple with the cost-of-living crisis, with fuel, food and energy prices spiralling out of control.

Prices are rising at such an exponentially faster rate to wages at the minute that the Bank of England believes inflation could hit double digits this year.

The largest jump in domestic energy bills in living memory also came into effect at the start of April, leaving many families facing further financial struggles across the country.