Island could adopt MOT-style testing
SOME form of MOT may be necessary in the island after the UK leaves the EU, said the president of the Guernsey Motor Trade Association.
Robert Cornelius was commenting in the wake of Deputy Lyndon Trott’s statement on Brexit in the Assembly this week, after which he was questioned by Deputy Kuttelwascher about the likelihood of an MOT-style test being necessary here post-Brexit to ensure local drivers can take their cars to Europe.
Mr Cornelius said the deputy had a good point: ‘I believe the EU is looking to introduce legislation this year where cars driving in the EU will need to have some sort of safety certificate from the jurisdiction in which they’re registered,’ he said.
‘Of course, anyone driving in the EU from the UK will already have their MOT certificate. There’s nothing that a Guernsey resident would have with them saying that their car is roadworthy.’
Drivers are already required to have certain items with them in the car when they are driving in most European countries, such as high-visibility jackets and warning triangles, but Mr Cornelius said that later this year this looks set to be extended to safety paperwork.
The testing of a vehicle’s road worthiness, such as through MOTs, is mandatory across most of Europe, and the GMTA would like to see something like an MOT locally.
‘The GMTA would support some sort of annual safety inspection-slash-MOT type inspection,’ he said, adding that whether or not this needed to be as rigorous as the UK test was open to discussion.
Providing a regular safety check need not necessarily be an onerous requirement, though, he added, and could perhaps be done as part of a vehicle’s regular maintenance.
The problem, said Mr Cornelius, was the number of drivers who did not have their vehicles maintained very often.
‘Over here there is no legislation that says that a car has be inspected – nothing that says owners have to bring their car in to have it serviced.’
Deputy Kuttelwascher said that if the EU does bring in the safety certificate requirement, it is important that local tests are introduced ‘sooner rather than later’.
Deputy Trott answered his question in the States by saying that the Environment & Infrastructure Committee were looking into ‘matters of that type’ to ensure the island complied with EU regulations.
E&I president Barry Brehaut confirmed that talks were continuing between the States and the UK government on a range of transport issues.
These included reciprocal recognition of driving licences and the legal basis on which vehicles can be used on EU roads after Brexit.
‘As part of the planning, the UK and Crown Dependencies may need to sign up to and meet new international obligations to ensure we maintain access to drive on EU roads,’ he said.
‘This is something we are still exploring alongside the UK so that we are prepared for the UK’s exit no matter what the terms of the UK’s future partnership may be.’
He added that notwithstanding Brexit, the EU regularly reviews and updates the requirement for access to driving in EU Member States: ‘As such we monitor these policy developments through the Channel Islands’ Brussels Office in order to ensure we maintain the current levels of access.’
