Belfast residents support move towards biennial MOT testing

Survey results indicate strong public support for proposed changes to testing frequency, is this a slippery slope for road safety?

Belfast residents support move towards biennial MOT testing
Photo: Bigstock

A recent poll found overwhelming support among readers for the proposed change to the frequency of MOT testing in Northern Ireland from annual to biennial intervals for certain vehicles.

The Department for Infrastructure is currently consulting on this proposal, which aims to reduce the testing burden for vehicles between four and ten years old.

The poll ran by Belfast Live, which received over 1,000 responses, showed that a significant majority of readers supported the move to biennial testing, citing increased reliability and safety in modern vehicles.

This public support aligns with the findings of a recent increase in MOT tests conducted in January 2025, indicating a potential easing of the previous backlog.

The consultation period is open for 12 weeks and will inform the Department for Infrastructure’s decision on whether to proceed with the proposed changes to MOT testing regulations.

Source: Belfast Live

1 Comment

  1. Asking people if they would like to MOT their car every 2 years is like asking people if they would like to pay less tax. Of course they will be in favour. This N.Ireland proposal will now probably appeal to the DFT & populist Westminster ministers and the dreaded 4-2-2/4-1-1 permutations will be dragged up again.
    Coupled with no fee increase in nearly 15 years, this could be very bad for an industry thats nearly on its knees from a profitability perspective with further big cost increases coming in April.
    We are paying the price for having a weak interface with DfT. IGA and other industry associations should have been fighting harder and much earlier on commercial and safety grounds instead of leaving it so long. The MOT fee and NI testing issues have been around for years. Talking to DVSA on these 2 issues is a waste of time – they say its policy and belongs in DFT.
    Our MOT industry is not good at getting its commercial interests heard by government. The N.Ireland tail must not wag Great Britains MOT dog!
    Our trade associations must try harder – keep 3-1-1 and get us a decent fee increase – preferably fixed.

    Reply

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