Government called to raise MOT price cap from 'unsustainable' £54.85 to £95
Garage industry says problems have come due to the policy not having been updated since 2010
The Independent Garage Association has called for the MOT price cap of £54.85 to rise to £95, calling the 2010 rate "unsustainable".
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The government is facing calls to help the industry by raising the cap by 73.2% to bring it in line with inflation.
The association has said that garages need more support, with the labour, rent, equipment, fuel, energy, compliance, administration and training costs all having gone up massively since 2010.
Its chief executive Stuart James told Autocar: “We are being advised by garage owners that without a significant increase to the MOT fee, they cannot continue to sustain this ever-increasing cost burden."
The MOT cap is set by the government for the test (named after the now-defunct Ministry of Transport), which all vehicles must pass to a minimum standard to comply with road laws once per year.
An MOT tests a vehicle's tyres, windscreen, wipers, lights, chassis, brakes, emissions, steering, battery, wiring and other such mechanics.
Owners are obliged to pay for their vehicle to be brought up to scratch by the garage if it fails the test.
Nick Connor, head of the Institute of the Motor Industry, added: "With MOT garages increasingly facing greater demands, such as the EV mileage checks when the eVED comes into force in 2028, a review of MOT fees is urgently overdue."
A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “We have no current plans to increase the MOT fee, but keep it under constant review, working with the DVSA and the sector to balance affordability for motorists with the financial sustainability of garages."