There are still massive delays for NCT appointments, with some testing centres still showing waiting times of at least six months.
Speaking on RTÉ’s This Week, the Minister of State at the Department of Transport and Environment Jack Chambers said it’s “unacceptable” to see people facing delays for the national car test.
He said the agreement is that there should be an average waiting time of 12 days but acknowledged it is currently much longer than this.
Minister Chambers said there has been progress in the last couple of months, with capacity of 25,000 vehicles per week in the autumn which rose to 30,000 by the end of the year and that will rise again to 35,000 per week by the end of this month. This has been largely due to about 75 Pilipino and Spanish mechanics being recruited from abroad.
“We have been informed by the Road Safety Authority that the target by the end of May this year should be back to a 12-day waiting time,” he said.
The Minister added that Applus, the company which operates the NCT service, is not meeting the current service level agreement so it should face penalties for the current delays.
“The penalties are set out in the contract between the RSA and Applus and they have triggered those contract mechanisms. There is a dispute between the company and the RSA on that,” Mr Chambers said.
Gardaí have said that any motorist detected driving a vehicle without a valid NCT cert must provide proof of a scheduled test date, after which a Garda “will take this evidence into consideration”.
Insurance Ireland has stated that its members will be “pragmatic and understanding” in their approach to the current NCT delays. It said cover will continue to be provided where customers, through no fault of their own, are unable to obtain an NCT appointment.
Motorists are reminded however that they have an obligation to ensure their vehicle is roadworthy, notwithstanding their NCT, or rather lack of it.
