MoT: Northern Ireland delays remain despite record number of tests

Some drivers in Northern Ireland are still struggling to book an MoT despite a record number of tests being carried out in the last six months.

There has been a backlog since testing was suspended several times in 2020.

The Department for Infrastructure (DfI) said more than 500,000 tests were conducted in the last six months as part of efforts to cut delays.

But some drivers trying to book online still face long waits for an appointment.

A DfI spokeswoman told BBC News NI testing now exceeds pre-pandemic levels.

Between September last year and the end of February 2023, a total of 506,967 full vehicle tests had been carried out by the Driver and Vehicle Agency (DVA), she added.

That is a 22% increase on the same period in 2021/2022.

"This increase in capacity has been achieved by adopting a range of measures including the recruitment of additional vehicle examiners, the use of overtime to provide cover for leave and by offering vehicle test appointments on a Sunday and bank holidays, when testing is not normally available," the DfI said.

"The DVA currently issues reminder notifications six weeks in advance of your MoT expiry date.

"The DVA will keep this notification period under review as it continues to manage the demand for vehicle testing."

They added that it did not currently hold information to enable it to accurately report the average waiting times for vehicle tests "given that this position changes on a regular basis".

BBC News NI logged on to the booking system on Friday to check the current availability.

It appears many motorists are facing two or three-month delays for an MoT, unless a cancellation appears, when using the DVA online system.

An MoT certificate ensures a vehicle meets legal standards and is required for tax and insurance purposes.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) previously said it would not penalise drivers whose MoT has expired as long as they met a number of criteria.

The PSNI told BBC News NI that exemption remains in place.

"In the event police encounter a vehicle with no current MoT, so long as we can ascertain that a vehicle is roadworthy, has a forthcoming MoT test date and is not sorned (statutory off road notification), then police will not take any further action," a spokesperson said.

As for insurers, the Association of British Insurers (ABI) said "where motorists in Northern Ireland have a confirmed MoT appointment booking for their test, they should not be prejudiced by a lack of a valid MoT certificate if it has run out before the test takes place".

ABI said its members had agreed to maintain cover for customers who, "through no fault of their own", could not get a test.

"However, motorists whose MoTs are due must keep trying to book a test with the DVA, even if the date falls after when their MoT certificate expires."

The spokesperson added that insurers must keep their vehicle in a roadworthy condition.

Drivers requiring an MoT to tax their vehicle, who cannot get an appointment before their current certificate expires, are asked to "book the earliest available appointment and keep checking the booking system for an earlier appointment", according to the DfI.

"If they get to within five days of the expiry date of their vehicle tax and they have been unable to secure an appointment or their vehicle tax has expired, they should contact the DVA customer services team at [email protected] and they will do their best to get an urgent appointment for the vehicle," a spokesperson added.

MoT tests in Northern Ireland were first suspended in January 2020 due to safety concerns about equipment being used during the tests.

Then Covid-19 hit, bringing another halt to MoT tests in March 2020.

Testing resumed in stages from June 2020, at a reduced capacity due to social distancing measures, before returning fully in July 2021.

A new online booking system was set up in September 2021 to deal with the backlog that built up from January 2020, but it initially faced technical problems and created further delays.