It’s party conference season, and I have plans to meet politicians from all sides of the political spectrum to make sure they understand the issues facing independent garages. In particular I have been pushing our opposition to the 4-1-1 system for MOTs, and have been drumming up support for a relaunch of the proMOTe campaign. This week I’ve been at the Labour Conference in Brighton and next week will be with the Conservatives in Manchester.

October 1st sees two important changes to the law become live. The first is the Consumer Rights Act, which governs every business selling directly to consumers, including car sales and servicing, so it is vital for all members to be aware of the implications. We have put together a comprehensive article and resource list in the bulletin, and there is a detailed overview of the changes from our legal team in the Legal Update.

This ties in with Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR). As a benefit of membership you are covered by the CTSI certified National Conciliation Service (NCS), and you must be making your customers aware of this in your promotional material and on your website as of today. We have a standard paragraph you can copy and paste into your own documents and website in our ADR article below.

Another topic back on the radar is Small Waste Oil Burners (SWOBs). New guidance is going to make it clear that they are not exempt from the provisions of the waste incineration directive (WID). If you currently have a permit you are likely to receive a letter from your local authority shortly. Read the article below to understand the possible implications for your business.

The new MOT system has overcome most of its teething problems and it’s now time to look at the future possibilities - come along to one of our member events to hear the DVSA explain where the system is going forward and to hear about training and QC processes in the future. This month we will be in South Wales on the 20th October and Newbury on the 21st - read our Member Events article to find out more and book your place.

Last month I wrote about our next training course, multimeter training, which will be part of a suite of three courses leading up to oscilloscope training. We are now ready to start delivering this course and we are opening the booking now. Please call the member helpline to get added to the list.

Finally we are getting ready for Bangers 4 BEN 2015 on October 10th – please find time to read the article and better still dig deep and make a donation to support your industry’s charity.

Don’t forget, if you have a story that would be of interest to other members or you need our help - just pick up the phone, we are here for you.