The requirement for vehicles from the pre-war era to undergo an annual MOT test may be scrapped if discussions between Transport Minister Mike Penning and members of the lobby group the All Party Parliamentary Historic Vehicles Group.
The meeting took place on January 20th in Westminster between head of the group Lord Montagu, Conservative MP for East Yorkshire Greg Knight, who is the Parliamentary group chairman and Transport Minister Mike Penning. If successful it will ensure rich people with pre-war cars no are no longer required to make sure they are road legal
After the meeting Lord Montagu said "This review is well overdue and I welcome it. I believe that any date of exemption should be a rolling one."
Mr Knight added "Accidents involving historic vehicles are extremely rare and the majority of owners are meticulous in keeping their vehicles in good condition. Having to have an annual MOT test for a vehicle which may only travel 100 miles in a year is an unnecessary bureaucratic hurdle.
"If these older vehicles are exempted from the MOT test, owners will still be legally required to ensure that their cars are safe, roadworthy and in a proper condition to be on the road. The Minister has made it clear that the exemption will not relate to historic vehicles that are used commercially."
Minister Mike Penning continuws "The MOT is important in helping to ensure that cars are safe for use on our roads. However, we need to be sure that the regulations we impose are having their intended effect. That is why I am going to look at whether there is a case for exempting older historic and classic vehicles from the MOT test. These vehicles are treasured by their owners who want to ensure they are well maintained, and in most cases they use them irregularly. I have asked my officials to look at the evidence on this issue and we will carry out a full consultation to allow interested groups to submit views."