The backlog in MOT tests in Northern Ireland may finally be easing, with January 2023 seeing the highest number of tests conducted in a decade.
Data released by the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) indicates that January this year recorded the highest number of total MOT tests—including retests—compared to any previous January over the last decade.
A total of 101,818 tests were conducted in January 2023, surpassing the 96,752 tests carried out during the same month in 2024, a huge improvement from the 38,105 tests recorded at the peak of the Covid restrictions in January 2021.
The DfI said this figure “represents the highest number of vehicle tests conducted in January since the series began.”
One of the primary issues contributing to the backlog was the discovery of cracks in 16 vehicle lifting units at MOT test centres in 2019, which hindered testing capacity.
The impact was exacerbated when the Covid-19 pandemic limited the availability of test slots in the following years.
Additionally, delays in completing two new MOT testing centres planned for Mallusk and Hydebank contributed to extended wait times for motorists. Both centres are expected to open later this year, which is anticipated to further alleviate the backlog.
In Northern Ireland, new vehicles are not required to undergo their first MOT test until they are four years old, after which testing becomes an annual requirement.
There are plans to change the regulations so that vehicles aged between four and ten years old will only be obliged to have an MOT every two years instead of annually.
A public consultation regarding this proposed change is currently open and will run until April 16, with further details available on the DfI’s official website.
