THE Department of Trade and Industry's scheme to set standards for garages used by fleets for repairs has been labelled an 'unnecessary intrusion' by a senior figure in the fast-fit sector.

Speaking at the National Tyre Distributors' Association (NTDA) annual dinner, its president Martin Rowlands said the proposals would do little to protect the consumer and will confuse the issue. Instead he called for a scheme tailored to the fast fit tyre industry.

Rowlands said: 'We are committed to improving standards within our sector and we would warmly welcome a scheme that embraces everyone selling tyres in the UK. We already have a code of practice, drawn together after many months of negotiation with the Office of Fair Trading. Our commitment to customers through this code is clearly defined and it is backed by independent arbitration – we are committed to improving standards in our sector and watch the development of the Good Garages scheme with interest.'

Rowlands' concern at the present plan is that it would not be strong enough to ensure poor garages comply with standards.

The Good Garages scheme was born last year following a Government-backed survey which found that nearly a third of fast-fit centres recommended unnecessary replacement of parts, and only 3% carried out checks comprehensive enough to find and rectify simple faults such as faulty reversing lights or deflated spare tyres.