Tim Almond

From The Herald…

The annual MoT test for cars is expected to be replaced by a two-year check under radical government plans to reduce red tape and bureaucracy.

I’m all in favour of reducing red tape and bureaucracy, of allowing people to get on with their own lives.
But of all the regulations that could be picked, the MOT test would be way down my list.

Maybe it’s right for review, but seriously, how about addressing some bits of red tape that are more about protecting someone from their own stupidity first? Like, the one that prevents a business from allowing its customers to smoke on their premises? Or the one that prevents a homeowner from fixing their own electrical problems?  Or the regulations introduced about public performance of music recently?

The MOT test isn’t about self-protection. It’s not checking that you’ll be safe in your car. It’s about whether your car is going to be a danger to other road users.

Raise the time delay, and you’ll have more unsafe cars on the road for longer. If a car has brakes that are barely legal, at the moment, you’ll have some of the next 12 months driving dangerously. With a biannual MOT, they’ll be driving for up to 24 months, with them getting progressively worse.

All in the name of EU harmonisation. Funny how we don’t get autoroute or autobahn speed limits. Then again, government doesn’t collect much from MOT tests, unlike speed cameras.

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Tags: Politics, Travel //