MOT testers call on DVSA to reduce administrative burden

Most MOT staff would support calibration companies being allowed to upload calibration certificates directly into the DVSA’s MOT Testing Service (MTS), according to a recent poll conducted by management platform MOT Juice.

The survey, which gathered responses from over 5,000 MOT testers and managers, found that 61% would welcome the assistance of calibration companies in uploading certificates to the MTS. Only 23% opposed the idea, while 16% remained indifferent.

The findings come amid growing concerns about the administrative load faced by MOT stations, exacerbated by a new requirement for testers to manually record their annual training within the MTS system.

Previously, testers maintained their training logs externally, often with the help of training providers. Now, with this new rule in place, the added workload and risk of errors have prompted widespread calls for more streamlined processes.

Many in the MOT industry are calling for the DVSA to introduce API integration that would automate the transfer of training data between providers and the MTS.

"For nearly a decade, MOT testers have managed their training records outside of the MTS with the help of training providers," says Barry Babister, managing director at MOT Juice. "Now that we’re being asked to manually input this data, the additional burden is unnecessary when automation could easily handle it."

MOT Juice is urging the DVSA to extend the technology used for automatic exam result submissions to training records as well.

By enabling API-driven data transfers from training providers and calibration companies, MOT stations would benefit from modernised processes that align with the DVSA's goal of enhancing transparency and ensuring compliance without adding undue administrative work.

"The technology is already there," Babister said. "We’ve seen how well automation works for exam results. Extending this functionality to training records and calibration certificates is the logical next step, especially considering the growing amount of data required to stay compliant."