Debate contribution: MOT Testing: Backlog

Debate contribution by Mr Patrick Brown on 11 March 2024.

MLA: Mr Patrick Brown
Party at the time: Alliance Party
Date: 11 March 2024
Type: Debate contribution
Business: Private Members' Business
Heading: MOT Testing: Backlog
Assembly identifier: Official Report component 4270218

Text

I just had a quick check on Twitter to see whether any of my comments would be out of date by the time that my speech has finished, but I was not able to find anything just yet, so I will proceed regardless. I support the motion, which gives voice to significant frustration and anger among the general public, who have had to face unacceptable delays to vehicle testing services for the past number of years. The Minister must take urgent action to deal with the issue. We welcome the motion's call for:
"an ambitious and costed plan to tackle the backlog"
and associated issues. He would not be the first Minister to try to begin to address the problem. As Mr Durkan pointed out, Minister Mallon opened the call for evidence on biennial testing in August 2021, seeking views from individuals, industry and other key stakeholders. That call for evidence produced valuable data on the merits and levels of support for biennial testing as a possible solution. Any future consultation or legislation should seek to build on that. On that basis, we support the call for further consultation in the amendment. It is disappointing that there was no time in the previous mandate to carry out that consultation exercise. It is also disappointing that, despite most political parties identifying biennial testing as a possible solution, only one managed to respond to the call for evidence. I take this opportunity to thank the current AERA Minister for his diligence in responding to it, and for outlining our party's support for a trial of a four-, two- and one-year testing regime, depending on the age of the vehicle. The call for evidence found that 85% of individuals would support biennial testing for private cars, with majorities also in favour of that for light goods vehicles and motorcycles. Although we recognise that there are legitimate concerns among industry, NIPSA and the PSNI about moving to a biennial system, we do, on balance, feel that a trial of that approach can be a solution to addressing the backlog without compromising road safety standards or negatively impacting on the private sector.
It is clear that we must do something. In recent years, all of us will have been inundated with constituents who are at their wits' end, having spent hours trying to secure an appointment and potentially having to travel across the country, often months down the line, all the while dealing with the stress of not knowing whether their vehicle is roadworthy. The current system is simply not working. The backlog impacts rural constituents in particular, such as those whom I represent; as the motion correctly recognises, they are more likely to have to travel further or wait longer for an appointment to become available at their local test centre, with the associated costs and stress of that. In recent years, I have basically given up on getting a test at the Downpatrick testing centre and usually have to travel to Ards as the next-nearest centre — although, given that the Member for Strangford is behind me, I will say that travelling up to Ards is, of course, always a lovely experience — but many others are not so lucky and will have to go much further than that for a test. Of course, the situation only got worse during the two years in which we had no elected Ministers to make the decisions to deliver change to the MOT system. I believe that the Minister is right to rule out privatisation as an option. When our system is operating properly, it is far superior to the GB system. Northern Irish drivers often spend far less on annual repairs than those in GB, thanks to an impartial testing regime with no reduction in safety standards. There is no doubt that a full-scale move to privatisation could leave many road users out of pocket, with no standardised means of identifying the mechanical work that is needed to pass an MOT. We need to make this system work, not scrap it. That is why we call on the Minister to urgently implement a clear plan of action to tackle the backlog, address lift failures, sort out delays in new testing centres, publish clear and accurate data on average waiting times, tackle any staffing issues and, finally, introduce biennial testing, at least on a trial basis. I wish the Minister well in finally seeing those changes being implemented.

742 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

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