The announcement by the Government that vehicles manufactured before 1960 will no longer have to pass an MOT, has received a cautious welcome from the British Motorcyclists Federation.

While pleased that the Government is trying to cut down on regulation, the fact that thousands of cars and motorcycles will from 18th November no longer require an annual test of any sort is a concern say the BMF.

At the time of the consultation the BMF pointed out that there was still a lot of support from the classic world for some form of an MOT as an annual check of basic roadworthiness. The BMF’s response, while recognising that modern test standards were not suitable for 50 year old vehicles, also went on to acknowledge   that there was a problem finding testers who were knowledgeable on the limitations of older vehicles. 

The BMF also points out that owners of pre-1960 machines will still be legally required to ensure that they are safe and in a proper condition to be on the road, the problem now being though, who decides?

The Government have also said that it is allowing voluntary MOT tests and it might well mean that motor insurance providers will require historic vehicles to have been tested as proof of road worthiness, something that could also assist owners following road traffic accidents.

BMF Government Relations Executive Chris Hodder said: “Broadly speaking, the BMF is generally in favour of less legislation and regulation for motorcycle owners, but there is a very large degree of support for the MOT system and we did question whether exemptions should be made at all. We will now have to watch how the system pans out.”

A summary of response to the consultation is available here: