To ask the Minister for Infrastructure whether he plans to amend Regulation 8(b) of the Motor Vehicle Testing Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003 to allow for an MOT test to be booked more than three months in advance.

The Driver and Vehicle Agency (DVA) has steadily increased its vehicle testing capacity to pre-Covid levels by adopting a range of measures including the recruitment of additional vehicle examiners, the use of overtime to provide cover for leave and by offering vehicle test appointments on a Sunday and bank holidays, when testing is not normally available.

The DVA continues to experience significant demand for vehicle testing services and in some cases customers may not be able to have their vehicles tested before their current MOT certificate expires. In such cases, customers must book the earliest available test appointment for their vehicle, which may mean travelling to another test centre instead of their preferred location. The DVA releases vehicle test appointments on a daily basis and customers are encouraged to regularly check the booking system as they may be able to change their existing appointment to a different test centre and time if a slot becomes available.

Extending the window for customers to book a test in advance of their MOT expiry date would increase demand on the service reducing the availability of appointments for those customers who require one more urgently. Therefore, the Department has no plans to amend Regulation 8(b) of the Motor Vehicle Testing Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003 to allow for an MOT test to be booked more than three months in advance.

The latest information on MOTs is available on NI Direct at https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/book-view-change-or-cancel-mot-vehicle-test and is also included as an advice note with every MOT Reminder Letter issued to their customers.