Laois TD, Brian Stanley is calling on Minister for Transport, Eamon Ryan to carry out a review into the National Car Test system, saying, “the long delays that people are experiencing are causing havoc across the country.”
Deputed Stanley quoted figures from the NCT booking service that applicants in Portlaoise were waiting for over 29 weeks for an appointment, while Tullamore waiting times were as high as 25 weeks.
“The system is under real stress,” the Deputy said. “Consideration needs to be given to extending the time between tests by allowing the test time to run from when the car is tested rather than from when it falls due.
“At present many cars are only a few months in test when the next test becomes due because of the long delays.”
At present, cars are first tested after four years and then every two years. Cars older that 10 years are tested annually.
The system was introduced to conform with an EU directive that sought to set standards of road worthiness and control emissions right across all EU member states.
Pandemic restrictions, however, meant that all tests were postponed which caused a long backlog.
“We also have the additional issue of a notable increase in the number of older cars being kept on the road as second-hand cars are scarce and have become more expensive,” Deputy Stanley said.
“Sinn Féin has proposed that the Minister should consider changing the testing time criteria from the same month every year, to a year from when the test is completed.
Consideration must also be given to temporarily allowing an extra year before new cars would be required to have the first NCT. This would mean a vehicle getting tested for the first time at 5 years instead of 4 years at present.
“An intervention in the system will be required to get waiting times under control, and Sinn Féin is proposing these solutions.”
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