According to data obtained from the DVSA by BookMyGarage.com, MOT demand this spring could fall by up to two million bookings.
This would, therefore, leave MOT numbers in April and May below pre-pandemic levels by as much as 37%.
Revealing the latest monthly MOT figures, the Freedom of Information (FOI) request suggests there will be significant peaks and troughs throughout 2022, and potentially for years to come.
With the effects of the 2020 six-month MOT extension still echoing through the sector, the research indicates the months of April and May will see demand for MOTs plummet again this year. This comes after April and May 2021 saw 2.3 million fewer MOT tests take place compared to pre-pandemic levels.
Last April and May saw 3.1 million MOTs take place, and while this represented a recovery of 1.5 million MOTs on the same months in 2020, it still fell significantly short of the 5.4 million MOTs which took place in 2019.
The data shows there is a need for the aftersales sector to accelerate its digital transformation to capitalise on additional revenue from segment 2 and older vehicles to plug the spring shortfall.
Karen Rotberg, Co-founder of BookMyGarage.com, said: “There’s never been a better time to adapt fast by increasing market share and gaining conquest bookings – the months ahead will once again see historically low MOT numbers, yet garages can battle this shortfall by offering consumers the added transparency and convenience of a digital customer journey.
“April and May will be tough months because as well as fewer MOTs, there will be less servicing work. In fact, our research shows that nearly 70% of drivers aim to have their vehicle serviced when they get their MOT. Losing this opportunity instead of gaining ground lost to fast-fits or other rivals could deal a significant blow to any garage.”
The peak months for MOTs this year will be September and October, when MOT numbers last year were 22% higher than pre-pandemic levels.
Karen continued, “With a post-summer rush in sight before long, it is the time to scale up capacity ahead of the busy September to December period. While this year will be highly backloaded, garages can act and adapt now.
“We are well placed to support the sector with digital services designed to attract and retain new customers. BookMyGarage has been providing digital booking tools with high conversion rates for workshops’ own websites, along with highly effective marketing to drive the lookers to turn into bookers. There is no reason, with such cost-effective solutions, for any garage not to meet the digital needs of today’s consumers, allowing them to book quickly and easily 24/7.”
