NI MOT

35har1old

redped said:

As @motorguy says, just take the first date and then regularly check for a better appointment. I've been doing this for several years, but they now send out a confirmation code via text message each time you log on - possibly to counteract the various websites which offered to find a better appointment for you.

The whole system isn't fit for purpose, and the two new centres at Mallusk and Hydbank are delayed which doesn't help things.  All they do is say this is the new norm, rather than doing anything to improve the situation (e.g. I read an MLA saying yesterday that dealerships should be allowed to do some MOTs, they could hire more staff, be open for longer hours, etc.)

What dealership have equipment to do the test like the MOT center 

Money_Grabber13579

It’s been like this for almost 4 years now but it’s really not difficult to get an appointment. It just takes a little bit of effort and flexibility. For my last two appointments, one I booked for two days ahead and the other was booked for the same day.

I was on the site on Friday out of curiosity and I could have got an appointment for the same day in Balmoral or tomorrow in Newtownards. 

Whilst the standard available dates may now be July, there are many appointments that get offered throughout the day for much earlier dates. Maybe it’s just me but I quite enjoy sitting on the system trying to get an appointment!

35har1old

Money_Grabber13579 said:

It’s been like this for almost 4 years now but it’s really not difficult to get an appointment. It just takes a little bit of effort and flexibility. For my last two appointments, one I booked for two days ahead and the other was booked for the same day.

I was on the site on Friday out of curiosity and I could have got an appointment for the same day in Balmoral or tomorrow in Newtownards. 

Whilst the standard available dates may now be July, there are many appointments that get offered throughout the day for much earlier dates. Maybe it’s just me but I quite enjoy sitting on the system trying to get an appointment!

In my case if I took a next day appointment now my vehicle would only be 10 months since the previous test so the likely outcome next year could be the same.
Once you seen the available date did you take the next step to see the times available?
Because I have seen dates available but when you proceed there are none available moving on through the dates you come to the end and 
 still no availability 
.

redped

35har1old said:

redped said:

As @motorguy says, just take the first date and then regularly check for a better appointment. I've been doing this for several years, but they now send out a confirmation code via text message each time you log on - possibly to counteract the various websites which offered to find a better appointment for you.

The whole system isn't fit for purpose, and the two new centres at Mallusk and Hydbank are delayed which doesn't help things.  All they do is say this is the new norm, rather than doing anything to improve the situation (e.g. I read an MLA saying yesterday that dealerships should be allowed to do some MOTs, they could hire more staff, be open for longer hours, etc.)

What dealership have equipment to do the test like the MOT center 

I'm not an MOT tester and it wasn't my idea, but with the exception of testing the brakes I'd say most/all of the other checks (lights, horn, seatbelts, checking under the car, etc.) can be carried out by a dealer - a lot of garages offer pre-MOT checks on cars anyway.  With a bit of outside-the-box thinking, garages could have access to a lane in the MOT centre for testing brakes.

The main problem to me is that the civil servants who run the MOT system just accept that things are getting worse, with no evidence of them actually trying to come up with alternatives.

motorguy

Mildly_Miffed said:

motorguy said:

Mildly_Miffed said:

Almost worth getting a boat over for a test.

Theres really no need.  Its just a matter of checking online regularly for a better date.

Meanwhile, over here on the mainland, if it's more than a week or so leadtime, you just phone a different garage...

Oh i'm not condoning the fiasco over here, merely pointing out that it can be mitigated with a little pro activeness.

motorguy

  35har1old said:

motorguy said:

SiliconChip said:

BBC website story yesterday.

MoT: 72-day wait for test in NI is new normal, DVA boss says

Them pretending its normal isnt helping anyone.

If its the new normal why do they only send out reminders 30 days in advance?

People can mitigate the issue as per my posts above, but it really shouldnt be like this - and it has been like this for several years now.

Given that I applied 83 days prior to due date I think the new norm of 72 days is a underestimate and the first date so far is 160 days from when I applied I know I can keep checking for a earlier date

Its ridiculous of him to say its "the new normal".  Just white washing a complete mess on their part.

motorguy

redped said:

As @motorguy says, just take the first date and then regularly check for a better appointment. I've been doing this for several years, but they now send out a confirmation code via text message each time you log on - possibly to counteract the various websites which offered to find a better appointment for you.

The whole system isn't fit for purpose, and the two new centres at Mallusk and Hydbank are delayed which doesn't help things.  All they do is say this is the new norm, rather than doing anything to improve the situation (e.g. I read an MLA saying yesterday that dealerships should be allowed to do some MOTs, they could hire more staff, be open for longer hours, etc.)

Yes the confirmation step is pretty irksome now.  Feels unnecessary other than presumably they're irked by people finding better dates for friends, relatives (or customers!).

motorguy

35har1old said:

Money_Grabber13579 said:

It’s been like this for almost 4 years now but it’s really not difficult to get an appointment. It just takes a little bit of effort and flexibility. For my last two appointments, one I booked for two days ahead and the other was booked for the same day.

I was on the site on Friday out of curiosity and I could have got an appointment for the same day in Balmoral or tomorrow in Newtownards. 

Whilst the standard available dates may now be July, there are many appointments that get offered throughout the day for much earlier dates. Maybe it’s just me but I quite enjoy sitting on the system trying to get an appointment!

In my case if I took a next day appointment now my vehicle would only be 10 months since the previous test so the likely outcome next year could be the same.
Once you seen the available date did you take the next step to see the times available?
Because I have seen dates available but when you proceed there are none available moving on through the dates you come to the end and 
 still no availability 
.

I had similar when i first booked my date.  I could get a cancellation in the next few days easily, but i'd have lost a couple of months on my MOT.

Yes, its just a matter of booking whatever date you can, then periodically going back in to "Change MOT date" and having a peruse around at the available dates.  Sometimes theres none, sometimes theres quite a few.  

I ended up getting on on the limit of the "30 days before" (or whatever it is), so although the date i got was nigh on 30 days from my mot expiry, i got the credit of the month + 1 year, so done for 13 months.

35har1old

redped said:

35har1old said:

redped said:

As @motorguy says, just take the first date and then regularly check for a better appointment. I've been doing this for several years, but they now send out a confirmation code via text message each time you log on - possibly to counteract the various websites which offered to find a better appointment for you.

The whole system isn't fit for purpose, and the two new centres at Mallusk and Hydbank are delayed which doesn't help things.  All they do is say this is the new norm, rather than doing anything to improve the situation (e.g. I read an MLA saying yesterday that dealerships should be allowed to do some MOTs, they could hire more staff, be open for longer hours, etc.)

What dealership have equipment to do the test like the MOT center 

I'm not an MOT tester and it wasn't my idea, but with the exception of testing the brakes I'd say most/all of the other checks (lights, horn, seatbelts, checking under the car, etc.) can be carried out by a dealer - a lot of garages offer pre-MOT checks on cars anyway.  With a bit of outside-the-box thinking, garages could have access to a lane in the MOT centre for testing brakes.

The main problem to me is that the civil servants who run the MOT system just accept that things are getting worse, with no evidence of them actually trying to come up with alternatives.

THE ASSEMBLY SAYS NO
Your suggestion that a lane could be hired out to a garage  Which garage?
Unfair to all the other garages in the area. Never mind the additional cost 
Taking over a lane just to test the brakes only could  reduce capacity further
If the shoe was on the other foot do you think a dealership would let a third party enter there workshop
if it was restricted to a dealership the majority of which are in Belfast you are not increasing capacity sufficiently 

redped

35har1old said:

redped said:

35har1old said:

redped said:

As @motorguy says, just take the first date and then regularly check for a better appointment. I've been doing this for several years, but they now send out a confirmation code via text message each time you log on - possibly to counteract the various websites which offered to find a better appointment for you.

The whole system isn't fit for purpose, and the two new centres at Mallusk and Hydbank are delayed which doesn't help things.  All they do is say this is the new norm, rather than doing anything to improve the situation (e.g. I read an MLA saying yesterday that dealerships should be allowed to do some MOTs, they could hire more staff, be open for longer hours, etc.)

What dealership have equipment to do the test like the MOT center 

I'm not an MOT tester and it wasn't my idea, but with the exception of testing the brakes I'd say most/all of the other checks (lights, horn, seatbelts, checking under the car, etc.) can be carried out by a dealer - a lot of garages offer pre-MOT checks on cars anyway.  With a bit of outside-the-box thinking, garages could have access to a lane in the MOT centre for testing brakes.

The main problem to me is that the civil servants who run the MOT system just accept that things are getting worse, with no evidence of them actually trying to come up with alternatives.

The assembly says no.
Your suggestion that a lane could be hired out to a garage  Which garage?
Unfair to all the other garages in the area. Never mind the additional cost 

I'm not quite sure why you're being so negative about suggestions, they're just that - ideas to try to reduce the backlog.  As I said before, the idea of dealerships doing some MOTs isn't mine, I just mentioned it as something I'd heard mentioned recently as a possible way to help alleviate the current situation.  You then jumped on it and asked which dealerships had the kit to test vehicles, and I pointed out most of the testing could be done at any dealership.

I'm afraid your negativity sounds like a certain political party who is well known for saying no to everything.  What are your suggestions for shortening the MOT queue?