Northern Irish dealerships welcome consultation on biennial MOT testing

Northern Irish dealerships have welcomed the Department for Infrastructure's (DfI) decision to launch a consultation on biennial MOT testing.

The consultation, which opened on 22 January and runs until 16 April, aims to gather public and industry feedback on the potential shift to testing vehicles every two years instead of annually, following their initial test.

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This move comes against the backdrop of an ongoing MOT crisis in the region, marked by prolonged backlogs and operational challenges stemming from COVID-19 disruptions and equipment failures.

The National Franchised Dealers Association Northern Ireland (NFDA-NI), has expressed strong support for the consultation, viewing it as an opportunity to address the current system's deficiencies and improve outcomes for both consumers and the industry.

“NFDA-NI welcomes the Department for Infrastructure’s launch of a consultation on biennial MOT testing. The consultation comes amid the ongoing MOT testing crisis in the region, which remains critical and continues to negatively impact consumers and dealers in equal measure” said Sue Robinson, NFDA chief executive.

Following the closure of the consultation, the feedback will be analysed, and a report will be presented to the infrastructure minister, John O’Dowd, for his consideration.

Vehicle testing is a devolved matter, and so any move to biennial MOT testing would entail an Act of the NI Assembly.

Under current regulations in NI, private cars and motorcycles are first MOT tested at 4 years old and light goods vehicles under 3,500kg are first tested at 3 years old. These requirements will remain unchanged, regardless of the outcome of the consultation.

All of those vehicle categories are tested annually thereafter. The consultation is seeking input on the possibility of changing the testing frequency to once every two years, starting after the initial MOT test and builds on the evidence gathered by the 2021 Call for Evidence on the issue.

Robinson added: “The consultation offers an opportunity for the industry to contribute further insight into the current MOT regime. NFDA-NI will be preparing its response over the next few weeks on behalf of its members.

“NFDA-NI remains steadfast in its belief that Northern Ireland deserves an MOT regime that is fit for purpose.”