Northern Ireland’s dealerships urge swifter action over dire state of MOT testing

Northern Ireland’s largest car retailers are calling on the region’s authorities to accelerate their efforts to reverse the MOT backlog which they say is impacting public and business confidence amid concerns about road safety.

Stormont's infrastructure committee was today due to discuss the cancellation of a contract last month at Hydebank MOT centre, which will ultimately require equipment to be rebuilt due to failure, causing further delays to the centre’s opening and adding to the MOT backlog Northern Ireland has faced since 2020.

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The National Franchised Dealers Association Northern Ireland (NFDA-NI), said it was “deeply concerned about the ongoing MOT backlog in Northern Ireland, which continues to compromise road safety and adversely impact businesses.”

Official figures published earlier this year showed that average waiting times for a test was 72 days and while improving, remain far short of what is remotely acceptable, the NFDA-NI said.

NFDA chief executive Sue Robinson, which represents car and commercial retailers across the UK said:“The situation is dire and continues to negatively impact consumers and dealers in equal measure. The persistent, lengthy backlog threatens road safety as prolonged waits for MOT tests only increases the length of vehicle defects developing, risking injury and even death.

 “This is also compounded by the fact that more drivers are keeping their vehicle for longer given inflationary pressures associated with the cost-of-living crisis.”

The current MOT testing regime in Northern Ireland is still struggling to recover from disruptions caused by COVID-19 lockdowns, which extended an already existing backlog, and from defective vehicle lift equipment which was found in almost all MOT testing centres across the region in late 2019, leading to tests being suspended.

The NFDA-NI said the MOT crisis was also causing negative impacts across the region’s car dealer network, delaying used car vehicle sales and increasing labour costs associated with securing timely MOT appointments.

“Public confidence in the current system has reached rock bottom and we urge the government to act more quickly in reversing this longstanding backlog and improve public and business confidence in the MOT process,”  Robinson added.

Recent figures published by the Department for Infrastructure in response to a Freedom of Information request recently have highlighted that motorists are facing lengthy waits for MOT appointments across the 15 Driver and Vehicle Agency (DVA) centres across the region. Balmoral, in Belfast, had the longest average wait time at 65 days.

The association said the challenges were further compounded by the Northern Ireland’s Infrastructure Committee’s confirmation last month that the testing lanes at the new Hydebank Centre will require reconstruction due to equipment failure.

Hydebank, whose opening has already been delayed multiple times, will face additional setbacks due to this issue, further postponing any improvement in testing capacity and at further cost to the taxpayer.

“NFDA-NI urges the Department for Infrastructure to take swift and decisive action to address these challenges and provide more clarity and leadership to ardently tackle the issue for the interests of Northern Ireland motorists and businesses,” Sue Robinson said.

"NFDA-NI has vociferously advocated for a collaborative approach on this issue and has urged Infrastructure Minister John O'Dowd to work alongside us and other industry stakeholders to develop a practical plan that addresses the backlog, ensuring timely MOT tests and continued road safety improvements.”

Despite several invitations, the Minister is still yet to meet with automotive retail representatives.

“It is clear the introduction of Temporary Exemption Certificates (TECs) in June is not the policy to address the fundamental issues with the system. The situation remains untenable, with large implications for road safety. NFDA-NI remains steadfast in its belief that Northern Ireland deserves an MOT regime that is fit for use throughout the region. The current model is not effectively working for either motorists or the dealer network.”