New MOT facilities – new challenges

MOT testers need to make sure they fully understand the new MOT facilities provided by computerization as they risk disciplinary action if they perform the elements of the test in the wrong order, the Retail Motor Industry Federation (RMIF) is warning MOT testing stations.

Pass after Rectification at Station (PRS) is one of the new facilities available to testers since the introduction of the MOT computer to testing stations. PRS allows the tester to indicate that a vehicle has passed the MOT test after immediate rectification of a minor fault.

However, it can only be used once the repair has taken place.

Stephen Coles, head of the RMIF’s MOT team explains: ‘PRS is a useful procedure to have and can save time in the long run, but must be used properly. It must only be used once the necessary repairs have been completed, and only if this is within one hour of the test being completed.

‘It is possible to use PRS, pass the vehicle, and then perform the repair afterwards before returning the vehicle to the customer, but the strict rules of the MOT do not allow for this.’

The RMIF MOT Operations Team has found that some testers are not fully conversant with the new requirements, and are leaving themselves open to disciplinary action: ‘We have found that some testers are mistakenly using the PRS function to indicate repairs that are going to take place, rather than repairs that have been completed. By opting for PRS before the repair has been made, the tester is declaring that the vehicle now meets the required standards, whereas in reality the vehicle still needs the repair to be completed.’

Coles added: ‘This is not a case of MOT testers allowing cars to pass that should fail the test; the issue is the order in which the test is performed, which is something to which testers must adhere.’

The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) which oversees the MOT test, could take disciplinary action against an MOT testing station that was found to have been performing the test in the wrong order.

For more information, RMIF members businesses should contact the RMIF MOT Operations team.