The DVSA has completed its trial, asking garages to provide images of vehicles during their MOT in an effort to combat fraud.
In March, the authority asked for MOT photos from a group of garages. These were to be taken when a vehicle came in for its annual test, and provided evidence that it was present at the time. The MOT photos were automatically uploaded into the digital MOT Testing Service.
“In time, this change will help reduce fraudulent MOTs, ensuring all vehicles are present for tests and retests, improving road safety and compliance,” the authority stated on its ‘Matters of Testing’ blog.
Trialling MOT photos
The six-week nationwide trial saw just over 170 MOT testers in 62 garages take part. Together, they covered all vehicle classes and included independent garages, chains, dealerships and local council testing stations.
Using a mobile phone or tablet, testers were asked to take a photo and upload it through the MOT Testing System (MTS), where it was attached to the MOT record for that vehicle.
The DVSA highlighted that the response to the MOT photos trial was impressive. Around 500 photos were uploaded each weekday. By the end of the trial, over 13,000 photos from all 62 garages had been submitted.
Testers were able to get to grips with the technology quickly and by the end of the first week, the top 10 busiest garages in the trial had an upload success rate of 90.2%.
The success means DVSA will be widening the trial with more garages after it has collated all of the feedback from the workshops that took part in the first trial. This will help to get insight on how it can improve the software and process for every kind of garage.
Amending the guidelines
The trial allows the DVSA to look at its guidelines around MOT photos should it decide to roll out the scheme nationwide. The authority was able to see common mistakes, where it can address these through best practice.
While many photos were perfect, showing the vehicle and its registration plate within a garage setting, Some were taken outside, and not in the MOT lane, negating the point of the MOT photos. However, these mistakes were valuable, giving the DVSA an idea of the guidance and clarity it needs to issue in future.
Providing feedback
Following the trial, the DVSA surveyed those taking part. Half of respondents found that the MOT photos experience was either ‘easy’ or ‘very easy’, with only 7% stating they found it difficult.
Speaking to garages, one user said it was “painless and stress-free” – with another describing it as “wonderful!”, the authority stated.
“When users encountered technical issues, they remained positive, and we were able to fix some of these as they were reported to us,” the DVSA continued. “An issue with expiring QR codes was resolved through the trial, image timestamps were fixed, and we fixed an issue with the QWERTY keypad opening when it should not – all contributing to a smoother user experience.”
One concern around the MOT photos trial was that the process would lead to longer test times. Photographs are taken at the beginning of tests and retests – so vehicles need to move back into the bay.
For the top 10 garages, the average test time for the first test remained at 40 minutes. The retest time was at nine minutes, up from seven previously. The DVSA is now working with garages to reduce this time by removing any technical barriers to the photos being uploaded.
“We know there’s still room to refine and enhance image capture and upload, and we’ll continue making improvements as we go,” the authority highlighted. “The second phase of the trial will focus on testing the system at scale to ensure it’s ready for a phased rollout.
“But we also know the garages who signed up for the service are continuing to use this and anyone involved in the trial can be sure they are working with DVSA to combat MOT fraud.”
