The government has been urged to name and shame testing providers which publish misleading prices for Covid travel tests.
Jim McMahon, the shadow transport secretary, also accused ministers of doing the “bare minimum” to curb those exploiting the pandemic, The Guardian reported.
The government has vowed to crack down on ‘cowboy’ providers and said more than 80 given a “two-strike” warning had subsequently updated their pricing claims.
However, McMahon said: “The government has failed to properly vet the test providers listed on its own website, with incomplete and often inaccurate information offered to the public, as well as misleading prices.
“Ministers have done the bare minimum to help families desperate to get away for a break after such a difficult time, instead leaving them to foot unreasonable and hidden costs. Naming and shaming providers who are exploiting this situation is the least they can do.”
Speaking after the latest update to the traffic light list on Thursday, Which? travel editor Rory Boland also urged the government and the Competition and Markets Authority to do more to improve the ‘overstretched and unreliable’ system.
Boland said: “As the green list grows, so do the numbers of people travelling. With several European destinations added, more people will be looking to head abroad.
“However, unless the government and regulator moves swiftly to fix the issues surrounding the overstretched and unreliable private testing system, many more travellers could have their travel plans ruined and be left out of pocket.”
The CMA announced a rapid review into the testing market earlier this month after widespread complaints from the travel trade and consumers about high costs and poor service from Covid test providers. It later said it had uncovered a range of ‘harmful conduct’ by firms, such as ‘bait’ advertising and ‘drip pricing’.
Members of the travel trade said the review had come “too late” and insisted the rogue firms should never have been permitted to feature on the government-approved list.