On Wednesday 10 April, NFDA-NI members hosted key figures within Northern Ireland (NI) including MLAs, MPs, various associations and chargepoint operators at a cross-party roundtable dinner at the Culloden Estate in Belfast. A prominent topic of discussion at the roundtable revolved around the ongoing MOT testing backlog.
“Last week’s roundtable dinner sparked productive conversations around the pressing issues impacting Northern Ireland’s automotive industry. One common theme that repeatedly cropped up amongst discussions was the ongoing issues surrounding the existing MOT regime and the current intolerable backlog” said Sue Robinson, Chief Executive of the National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA) which represents car and commercial retailers across the UK.
Background
The continual backlog in MOT testing has been a chronic problem for both motorists and vehicle retailers in Northern Ireland for years. The combination of Covid lockdowns and the January 2020 lift equipment crisis, has seen MOT testing come under severe pressure, failing to recover since. In some instances, motorists are having to wait over six months for an appointment and are required to travel significant distances.
NFDA-NI has numerous concerns including:
- Road and Vehicle Safety – this concern is of paramount importance whilst the backlog persists. The longer a vehicle must wait for an MOT test, the more likely vehicle defects will develop in turn compromising road safety. Tragically, 2023 saw the highest annual number of deaths on Northern Ireland’s roads in eight years. [1] Pre-emptive measures like MOTs play a critical role in maintaining high standards of safety.
- Dealerships are experiencing significant reputational damage – dealerships are left unable to sell vehicles due to a lack of a valid MOT licence with some encountering a backlog of over 6 months to secure an MOT appointment.
- Capacity Issues:
- The planned opening of new test centres in Hydebank and Mallusk were initially welcomed by the industry and scheduled to open in 2022 and 2024 respectively. Repeated delays have resulted in a staggering possibility that these may not be operational until 2025. Consequently, capacity won't increase soon, making it even harder to address the backlog.
- Since 2020, the net difference between total tests conducted and total test applications has increased dramatically, currently sitting at just under 400,000 for private cars and light good vehicles. Please refer to graph below.
Department for Infrastructure Driver, Vehicle, Operator, and Enforcement Statistics - Q2 '23
NFDA-NI Action
As well as hosting a productive roundtable dinner which discussed the current issues affecting Northern Ireland, NFDA-NI have also:
- Wrote to Infrastructure Minister, John O’Dowd MLA on 20 March 2024, offering an invitation to discuss the state of the MOT backlog situation in Northern Ireland.
- NFDA-NI received a letter* yesterday (16 April 2024) from the Minister stating his unavailability to accept ‘due to diary commitments’.
Released comments last month highlighting the ‘unacceptable state’ of the MOT regime in Northern Ireland.[2]
Sue Robinson concluded: “NFDA-NI have repeatedly brought to the forefront the unacceptable state of the current MOT regime in Northern Ireland and emphasised that urgent action is needed from Stormont. As such, we are disappointed that the Infrastructure Minister is unable to accept our invitation to discuss the matter at hand.
“This issue has reached a critical juncture and is having a detrimental impact on road/vehicle safety and the reputation of dealerships whilst the capacity is simply not there to tackle the growing backlog.
“We urge Stormont to work with us and key stakeholders within the industry to review the MOT regime, aiming for greater efficiency that benefits both consumers and dealers whilst upholding road/vehicle safety with paramount importance.”
[1] 2023 Key Statistics report.pdf (psni.police.uk)
[2] NFDA highlights 'unacceptable state' of MoT regime in Northern Ireland (motortrader.com)
* A copy of the letter is available on request.
