MOT testers call on DVSA to reduce administrative burden

A recent survey by the management platform MOT Juice revealed that the majority of MOT personnel are in favor of allowing calibration companies to directly upload calibration certificates into the DVSA’s MOT Testing Service (MTS).

A recent survey involving more than 5,000 MOT testers and managers revealed that 61% are in favor of calibration companies helping them upload certificates to the MTS. Meanwhile, 23% disagreed with the proposal, and 16% expressed no opinion.

The results emerge at a time when there are increasing worries about the burden on MOT stations, which has been intensified by a new rule that requires testers to manually log their annual training in the MTS system.

In the past, testers kept their training records outside of their main systems, usually relying on training providers for assistance. However, the introduction of a new regulation has led to an increased burden and a higher chance of mistakes, resulting in a strong demand for more efficient methods.

Numerous individuals in the MOT sector are urging the DVSA to implement API integration, which would allow for the automated exchange of training data between providers and the MTS.

"For almost ten years, MOT testers have kept track of their training records independently from the MTS by working with training providers," explains Barry Babister, managing director at MOT Juice. "Now that we are required to enter this information manually, it feels like an extra workload that isn’t needed, especially when automation could take care of it effortlessly."

MOT Juice is encouraging the DVSA to broaden the application of the technology that allows for automatic submission of exam results to also include training records.

Allowing data transfers powered by APIs from training providers and calibration firms would help MOT stations streamline their processes. This would support the DVSA's efforts to improve transparency and maintain compliance while minimizing extra administrative tasks.

"The technology is already available," Babister noted. "We've seen the effectiveness of automation in managing exam results. It makes perfect sense to apply this capability to training records and calibration certificates as the next step, particularly given the increasing volume of data needed to maintain compliance."