Substantial change and investment is required to effectively rectify and reform Northern Ireland's "broken MOT system", a group representing franchised car and commercial vehicle retailers has said.
The combination of Covid restrictions and the January 2020 lift equipment crisis has meant MOT testing has been a chronic problem for both motorists and vehicle retailers in Northern Ireland for the past two years.
This has created an unworkable backlog of over six months and motorists are now regularly having to travel hundreds of miles to secure an appointment in some cases.
Read more: Latest on MOTs in NI amid long waiting times for appointments
The National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA), which represents car and commercial retailers across the UK and Northern Ireland, recently met with franchised vehicle dealer members and elected government representatives from both Westminster and Stormont to highlight "serious and pertinent issues" facing the sector in NI, most significantly the unacceptable backlog of MOT bookings.
The NFDA has been actively lobbying the Executive to address the MOT backlog, which it says is compromising road safety and will inevitably lead to an increase in road casualties.
The MOT backlog means franchised dealers across Northern Ireland are left unable to sell vehicles to customers which is causing severe operational, reputational and financial damage, they added.
Earlier this week the Driver and Vehicle Agency (DVA) said it has steadily increased its vehicle testing capacity to pre-Covid levels by adopting a range of measures.
This includes 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 DVA also echoed its advice to vehicle owners who require an MOT to tax their vehicle and cannot secure a date before their MOT expires to book the earliest available appointment and keep checking the booking system for an earlier appointment.
NFDA NI’s Chief Executive, Sue Robinson, told Belfast Live: “Whilst we appreciate that DVA are addressing the issue concerning MOT appointments by increasing its vehicle testing capacity, there is still a considerable amount of work to do and overall will have a negligible effect on the increasing backlog of motorists seeking to have their vehicle tested.
“Our members along with many of your readers will still be unable to secure a MOT test until well into 2023 – this is unacceptable and unsustainable.
“After meeting with MPs and MLAs recently, it was clear that substantial change and investment is required to effectively rectify this problem and reform the broken MOT system.
“The issue is of growing concern as it is ultimately impacting motorists’ safety and will lead to an increase in road casualties but car dealers are also suffering from financial and reputational damage as they are left unable to sell vehicles,” she added.
Cars are due their first MOT after four years. MOT tests for cars and light vehicles were first suspended in January 2020 after concerns over lift equipment.
Cracks in vehicle lifts were first detected the previous November but the problem rapidly escalated in January when all Northern Ireland MOT tests - of which there are usually around 1,500 per day - were suspended after cracks were found in 52 of the 55 vehicle lifts in the 15 test centres across the region.
Testing of HGVs, buses and motorcycles were unaffected by the disruption while owners of cars and light vehicles that were five years old or more were eligible for a temporary exemption certificate.
Younger cars and taxis were prioritised for tests that were carried out in the heavy vehicle lanes in MOT test centres.
The Department for Infrastructure (DfI) later confirmed it was spending £1.8m on the installation of 52 new lifts for MoT centres, work which was completed in October 2020.
The arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020 again put the brakes on tests.
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