Although we might have expected August to be a quieter month as many people are taking a well earned summer break, this month has turned out to be exceptionally busy in a number of areas.

The first thing that has affected every garage is the roll-out of MOT Modernisation. We know from your calls that many of you experienced significant problems and we are working with the DVSA to solve them, as well as helping them to communicate the changes through social media and on the technical forum. We remain convinced that the new system is a major step forwards and once settled will bring benefits to your business. A major roll-out of this size was bound to bring some teething problems and we welcome all your feedback which we will collate and take back to the DVSA.

The first article in the bulletin this month is a message from Neil Barlow, Head of MOT Modernisation at the DVSA. In the message he provides an honest view of the current situation and explains what the DVSA is doing to rectify the issues.

Following the government’s announcement that it is looking into extending the time before a car requires its first MOT to 4 years, we have met with other trade bodies through the Automotive Aftermarket Liaison Group (AALG). As I result I will be meeting a marketing company next week with a view to re-launching the proMOTe campaign that so successfully resisted the introduction of “4-2-2” a few years ago.

After a break for the Summer our Member Events start again in September and the DVSA will continue to attend to answer your questions about MOT Modernisation and to talk about the future for Quality Control and MOT Training.

On the subject of training, our newest course “Electrics 1” has been sent to the IMI for accreditation. This is the first part of a suite of three courses which will culminate in Oscilloscope training. As always, this will be delivered on your premises as yet another benefit of IGA membership.

In this bulletin you can also read about the proposals for a new “Apprentice levy” and we welcome your views on whether this would be a good route to help to fund apprenticeships in order to secure the future of our industry.

Finally for this month, we have entered Bangers 4 BEN again this year to raise money for our industry’s charity. Members were extremely generous last year during the Trust My Garage “Charity Challenge” and once again we are seeking your support to show what the independent sector can do.

You can read more about all of these subjects in the bulletin and as always, if there is anything else the IGA can do for you, please call us on the member helpline 0845 305 4230.