Sinn Féin spokesperson on Finance Pearse Doherty said today that the NCT must immediately stop charging customers if they can’t provide the service to fully test and certify vehicles.

He also said that clarifications are urgently needed to ensure that customers understand what their rights are in relation to the roadworthiness of their vehicles in light of the recent NCT equipment inspections.

Pearse Doherty said:

“It is not at all clear what the implications are for customers who are currently having their vehicles tested in NCT centres.

“We seem to have a ridiculous situation where people are out of pocket, taking time off work and travelling to NCT centres to have their vehicles tested, only to be told that their vehicle has effectively failed the test.

“This failure is through no fault of the customer or their vehicle but because of the unavailability of the equipment that is needed to test vehicles in the centre.

“People are being told to return to the centre at a later date, so that the remaining tests, which involve the use of the mechanical lifts, can be undertaken. Again this means that ordinary people and businesses are out of pocket and having to take more time off work to go back a second time.

“The public are being unfairly penalised here and are being told to bear the cost of the failure of Applus Auto and the RSA in the operation of NCT centres.

“Why should this be the case? Why should the customer bear the costs?

“I am calling on the Commissioner of An Garda Síochana to clarify the matter and to make it clear that those who are stopped, and who do not have a valid NCT certificate because of this failure, will not be prosecuted.

“I am also calling on Applus Auto, who have been awarded the contract by the RSA to operate NCT centres, to commit to not charging NCT customers for NCT tests carried out in the period in which the testing equipment is not fully operational which results in the vehicle failing the NCT test.”