Calls to scrap planned MoT changes

25/08/11

Emma Sword

A watchdog has called on the Government to scrap plans for biannual MoT tests after finding "alarming disparities" between testing centres during a mystery shopper exercise.

A number of MoT testing centres missed potentially dangerous faults on a six-year-old Corsa that the magazine took to be put through its paces.

The car had previously been identified as an MoT fail before the tests.

However four centres did not fault the chipped windscreen or the broken clip on a brake pipe.

A centre in south-west London also failed to identify a fault with the Corsa's track road end ball joint.

In light of the findings Chas Hallet, What Car editor in chief, urged the Government to scrap plans to change the frequency of MoT tests and instead to concentrate on tightening up current system.

The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency said it would be looking into the issues raised by What Car's findings.