A new Council Fleet Transport depot is offering members of the public MOT’s for the first time.
The depot, at Locksbrook Road, Bath, offers MOT’s for cars, minibuses of between 13-16 seats, and for goods vehicles between 3,000kg – 3,500kg. Because the depot does not offer repairs it means, according to Martin Lewis’ Money Saving Expert website, there is no incentive for mechanics to find faults that don’t exist.
Barry Richards, Fleet Manager at the Council, said, “We are very pleased to offer a convenient, reliable, and stringent MOT service to the public and the transport trade. Bath & North East Somerset Council will carry out a full MOT safety check for most vehicles, like cars and minibuses. Taxi drivers can also have a licensing inspection at the same time as their MOT. More and more people are coming to us for an MOT and the Council hopes this trend will continue in the future.”
The cost of the MOT is in line with Government guidance. MOT Class IV (cars); £54.85; MOT Class V (minibuses 13-16 seats) £59.55; MOT Class VII (Goods vehicles 3,000kg – 3,500kg) £58.60.
Councillor Roger Symonds (Lib-Dem, Combe Down), Cabinet Member for Transport, said, “We are raising awareness of this facility so that everyone in our area and beyond can use it to check the safety of their vehicle through the MOT test. What people should remember is that we are not looking to create an income from work required if a vehicle fails.”
Appointments can be made by calling 01225 477314 Monday – Friday 7.30am – 4pm or email [email protected]
Bath Community Transport (BCT) is one of the local organisations that use the Council’s MOT services. Ian Head, Manager of BCT, said, “The service offered is excellent. What gives our organisation peace of mind is that there is no vested interest in the Council’s mechanics finding faults or reporting advisory notices to generate income. This potential conflict doesn’t exist. The way in which you book in your vehicle is just like any other garage. The process is quick and convenient.”
