I have shut the doors to my business on the 24th and sent the staff home for a minimum of 2 weeks paid. This is due to safety concerns for myself, my staff and my customers. We are in a high risk business, we are dealing with customers face to face, touching their keys, inner and outer door handles to their vehicles, their steering wheel, parking brake & other controls, gear selector, seat belts, almost everything that they’ve touched. This virus is being passed onto our tools, into our reception areas, onto telephones, computer keyboard, the PDQ machine and even worse into other customers vehicles. There is a higher risk of being an MOT tester as you’re touching everything. Gloves & masks don’t stop the spread. There’s no anti bacterial wipes or sanitiser left in the shops, I know as I’ve tried buying them for weeks! Safer at home then sick at work. I’ve cancelled over 100 jobs, half were MOT’s, we need the government to offer MOT grace for everyone, going for an MOT is not a necessary venture with limited vehicles on the road. How are customers going to pay for an MOT if they’re not in the reception area? who thinks up this nonsense, these are the rules;

Only go outside for food, health reasons or work (where this absolutely cannot be done from home)
Stay 2 metres (6ft) away from other people (touching someone’s car is the same as shaking hands)
Wash your hands as soon as you get home

Being a garage owner who wants to keep open and earning to make a living this means for the next 6 months all MOT stations will have ZERO work?

I do hope its easy to claim this loss of earnings from the government…

if we don’t test for 6 months will we be required to do a demonstration test ??

We have been told from York council we can not get any rates relief or grants.
I run 2 mot and repair garages with 12 staff.
We closed Thursday night as everyone cancelled for the foreseeable future.
We are in real trouble.

We’re still open & testing. Taking all precautions including ventilating and disinfecting vehicles before and after we work on them, using PPE, no waiting appointments, remote key drop, payment over the phone, contacless collection & delivery. Customers are being sensible and patient + appreciate that we are here to help as many of them need their car as their lifeline & are concerned if the car is safe & if insurance would pay out if they were to have an accident with not MOT.