It is reported that no garages have come forward to assess licensed vehicles, forcing a council to rely on standard MOT tests.

According to the report, Torfaen Borough Council has again extended an exemption to its licensing policy first agreed in February when it terminated its contact with the only garage that could issue its certificates of compliance.

Only two local garages responded to the council’s tender exercise, that ran from February to May, but neither was appointed meaning there is currently no garage able to issue a certificate to show a vehicle has been inspected to a higher standard than an MOT and meets licensing conditions including displaying council badges and no smoking signs. 

Torfaen’s licensing committee has agreed to extend the deviation, until its next meeting in November, and the council will continue to accept standard MOT certificates with applications to license a new or replacement vehicle, provided the MOT was issued a month before the application. 

MOTs will also be required if a licence is being reinstated if there were concerns about its suitability, or it was involved in an accident. 

A new tender exercise could be run, but officers have suggested waiting until the new year, so six months have passed since the last one finished, and to avoid the Christmas period.