MOTs will be extended by a year in Northern Ireland as part of new measures announced by infrastructure minister Nichola Mallon. The change will mean drivers whose MOTs are due during the pandemic lockdown will no longer be required to have their cars or other vehicles tested by the usual annual deadline. The new rule has been put in place to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
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As the country remains in lockdown, drivers who would usually be booking in with their local garage for an MOT will no longer have to thanks to the new policy.
Instead, Mallon said temporary certificates will be supplied so that the public are still able to drive their vehicles.
The infrastructure minister said: “I have decided the Driver and Vehicle Agency (DVA) will continue to issue temporary exemption certificates (TECs) to those vehicles, private cars, goods vehicles, trailers or motorcycles until their normal MOT date.
“This means a vehicle will get an exemption for one year which will bring it back into the system when there is capacity to test it.”
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The new certificates will be issued automatically as of next week, Mallon confirmed on Twitter.
She wrote: “#COVID19 UPDATE: In the Assembly today I announced that a one year MOT temporary exemption certificate (TEC) will be issued automatically from Monday 11 May ending the rigmarole of having to book an MOT at a closed MOT Centre & await a refund.”
Drivers will have to apply for MOTs as normal next year, once the lockdown is over.
In the meantime, it’s the responsibility of the vehicle owner to make sure their car is in a roadworthy condition and safe to drive.
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The DVA suspended all vehicle testing for three months on March 24, in order to help stop the spread of the virus.
However, the change in rules will now mean customers don’t have to pay out and wait for refunds as centres remain closed.
Mallon said the update was made because it would not be possible to accommodate the backlog as well as conduct normal business at testing centres once they reopen.
A statement about the change was posted on the Department for Infrastructure website on Tuesday.
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The statement explained: “TECs will be applied to eligible vehicles for up to one year from the date the vehicle was due to be tested. Any appointments in the system will now be cancelled and refunds issued. Due to the volume of refunds being processed, this is taking longer than usual.
“Separate arrangements are already in place for taxis and buses, allowing vehicle licences to be renewed without the requirement for prior testing.”
Mallon said it will ensure that “those needing to make essential journeys can stay on the road” and that the certificates will be added to the DVA system rather than sent as a hard copy.
Drivers don’t have to do anything to benefit from the change, as there is no need to apply or book in to get the temporary certificate.
The announcement is confined to Northern Ireland; in the UK, MOTs have been extended for six months for anyone whose vehicle was due to be tested after March 30.
The government website confirms: “Your vehicle’s MOT expiry date will be automatically extended by 6 months if it’s eligible. This will be done about 7 days before it’s due to expire.”
However, anyone who had an MOT due before March 29 was required to book their vehicle in.
The only exception to this rule was if “you or someone you live with has coronavirus symptoms” or “you’re extremely vulnerable from coronavirus”, in which case the government urged people to stay home.
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