We have been at the forefront of the industry developing new training services for MOT test stations over the last few months, and I am delighted to announce that you can now book courses for all of your MOT training needs through the RMI. The RMI Academy of Automotive Skills website is now live and you can read more about it in our update below, along with a reminder of the courses available and how to book.

You can also take your annual training and online assessment through the RMI, starting in June. We have five options so you can choose a method that best suits your business, and there is a wealth of information below on annual training and our offers, including our first Annual Training Forum in Bristol.

We have more great news to share, as on the 26th April we announced that the body for European Accreditation (EA) had officially ‘signed-off’ SERMI to go forward into European Type Approval, which will fully approve the scheme. This means that all accredited independent garages will finally have a level playing field when accessing security information from all vehicle manufacturers. You can read more about SERMI in the bulletin below.

We are conducting a new survey with the SMTA surrounding MOT renewals, as we have concerns that since the latest changes to road tax, people who pay monthly are not getting reminders that their road tax, and potentially MOT, is due. This means that more people may be forgetting to MOT their cars, breaking the law and becoming a danger on the road. Please take the survey in the bulletin below so we can see if we need to lobby the government to ensure vehicle owners are reminded to MOT their cars.

Even though news on 4-1-1 consultation has been quiet over the last couple of months due to the EU referendum, we have continued to lobby the issue. We recently met with Drew Hendry MP, SNP Transport spokesperson in the House of Commons, to present our case against extending the MOT for new cars. This was a really successful day and Mr Hendry understood the issues and implications.

As always, please let us know your thoughts regarding these issues and if there is anything the IGA can do for you, please call us on 0845 305 4230.