MOTs: Are standards slipping in bid to tackle the backlog?
One motorist shares his experience with the system
The MOT backlog… By now I’m sure we’re all sick of hearing about it!
The dogs on the street know that the waiting times for an appointment are beyond a joke, with many being told they will have to wait till near the end of the year to get their vehicle booked in.
One motorist who contacted Armagh I this week was one of the lucky ones - he had recently purchased an old van and secured a booking within a week.
Thankfully, his vehicle passed.
Related: New plan to cut MOT backlog with thousands of cars granted one-year exemption
Despite the pass - he subsequently took the van to his mechanic, who unearthed a ‘multitude’ of issues that deemed the vehicle unfit to be on the road.
The motorist reached out simply to ask the question: Are MOT centres giving out passes to deal with the huge backlog the system faces?
His van, which he described as ‘totally unfit for the road’, being granted a certificate has certainly led to that impression.
Armagh I contacted the Mechanic who surveyed the vehicle but they declined to comment.
We also put this allegation to the Department for Infrastructure - the body responsible - who at the time of writing have not yet responded.
However, they have this morning released the following statistics for April:
The DVA conducted just over 92,314 vehicle tests in April 2024 of which 79,194 (85.8%) were full tests, and 13,120 (14.2%) were retests.
The 79,194 full tests are 40.7% (22,895) above the five-year April average (56,299) and the third highest April volume in the series, from 2014/15.
Private cars accounted for 80.1% (63,400) of all full vehicle tests delivered in April 2024.
The DVA received 102,117 applications for a full vehicle test during April 2024.
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This citrus drink is a bit burnt
Where in Co Armagh are we talking about?
UK mainland MOT's undertaken at garages who are registered and there is no problem obtaining an appointment. Same system should be introduced N I. Ther are spot checks on these garages - that makes sure quality is kept very high!