AQW 6203/17-22

Mr Andrew Muir
Alliance Party
North Down

Tabled Date: 02/09/2020
Answered On Date: 08/09/2020
Priority Written: Yes

Question:
To ask the Minister for Infrastructure when MOT testing will resume to the same capacity available prior to the lifts failure and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Answer:

There has been a gradual resumption of MOT services from 1 June 2020, when the Driver & Vehicle Agency (DVA) resumed Individual Vehicle Approval testing.

From 20 July, the Driver and Vehicle Agency resumed MOT testing for priority vehicle groups, including those vehicles that are not able to avail of a Temporary Exemption Certificate (TEC). This includes taxis and buses due a first time test, vehicles not previously registered in Northern Ireland, vehicles whose MOTs have expired by more than 12 months that includes vehicles previously declared SORN and those sold by car dealerships.

From 1 September, MOT testing for four year old cars and motorbikes and three year old light goods vehicles also resumed and for those vehicles in this category that currently have a 6 month TEC, they will be called for test when their TEC expires. In addition, the DVA recommenced testing of heavy goods vehicles, trailers and buses.

It is my priority to ensure that our staff and customers remain safe. The DVA will continue to be guided by the latest public health advice to ensure that necessary and proportionate control measures relating to Covid-19 are incorporated into its risk assessments for safe vehicle testing. Like many other public facing services, vehicle testing capacity will increase as restrictions ease and as risk assessments are updated and this is being kept under constant review. In the interim period, the DVA is continuing to carefully manage the TEC process to prevent customers from being disadvantaged and to ensure all eligible vehicles can legally remain on the road.