Motorists wait up to five weeks for NCT

EXTRA mechanics have had to be drafted in to deal with a summer backlog at National Car Test centres, with motorists now facing waiting times of up to five weeks for a booking.

Some NCT centres are booked up until the end of August, resulting in extra days being opened and additional mechanics being called in to deal with the surge in cars requiring testing.

The backlog is attributed to the Garda crackdown from the start of the year into vehicles not deemed roadworthy, and the fact that people have been buying fewer new cars, meaning older vehicles, including a large number of cars bought in 2006, now face NCT tests.

Anyone caught driving a car that has not been NCT-certified faces the prospect of receiving five penalty points.

Those in charge of NCT bookings admitted that in many centres dates are completely booked up until the end of August. Extra dates will have to be opened up, beginning from the week of June 28, with a staff member admitting that the average waiting time for an appointment is now between three and five weeks, compared with one or two weeks earlier in the year.

“We usually have slots six weeks ahead but now because of the volume we have pushed mechanics to capacity,” he said.

“We are trying to get extra mechanics in.”

The Road Safety Authority (RSA), which oversees the NCT testing structure, said: “The initial demand has now passed and the contractor has introduced additional capacity and will also be maintaining the winter schedule throughout the summer.”

Automobile Association (AA) director of policy, Conor Faughnan said it was “totally unacceptable” that such waiting lists existed. “Resources need to be put into this area as they were put into the area of driving test waiting lists,” he said.

Callback lists provided by the RSA show as of last week 290 people were awaiting a test date in Athlone, 280 were awaiting notification in Youghal and 220 in Skibbereen.

The longest waiting times at present, in terms of weeks of work for NCT teams as a result of the backlog, is Youghal and then Ballina in Co Mayo, where 228 vehicles are awaiting a test.

In all, 3,812 vehicles are awaiting an appointment at the 62 centres around the country.