IAAF calls for introduction of minimum MOT fee

The Independent Automotive Aftermarket Federation (IAAF) has called on the Government to introduce a minimum fee for MOT tests, allowing the test to introduce particulate number (PN) and NOx emissions testing for diesel vehicles.

The IAAF argued that a minimum fee of £54.85 would end MOT discounting, allowing garages to invest in the equipment required for PN and NOx testing.

It said that the maximum fee should remain at £54.85, a figure that has been fixed since 2010, ensuring costs are not passed on to consumers.

PN and NOx testing would allow the MOT test to more effectively detect emissions system modifications, such as diesel particulate filter (DPF) deletes.

The IAAF said that a vehicle with a modified DPF can emit equivalent pollution to between 10 and 20 compliant vehicles, and that a PN test is the only reliable way of detecting such modifications.

In its whitepaper, ‘Squaring the Circle: Mandatory PN Testing in the EU Roadworthiness Regime, the UK MOT Position, and How a Minimum MOT Fee Could Unlock UK Adoption’, the IAAF said that the Department for Transport (DfT) has been reluctant to introduce PN and NOx testing due to the cost of implementation.

The IAAF argued that a minimum MOT fee would remove this barrier.

Six recommendations were put forward in the white paper: commit to a firm implementation date for PN testing in the MOT, adopt EU PN testing methodology, introduce a minimum MOT fee, retain the two-year implementation period to give garages the time to invest in equipment, coordinate implementation with Northern Ireland, and commit to introducing NOx measurement as a second phase.