Worries about 'knock on effect' on MOTs from the latest problem to hit the DVA: more cracked vehicle lifts

The Road Haulage Association (RHA) was reacting to news that small cracks have begun to appear in 16 of the roughly 50-plus lifts which it uses to raise up vehicles for MOT checks.

The DVA spent £1.8m on replacing almost all its lifts four years ago after discovering that their lifts were beginning to crack.

Deborah Erskine, DUP chair of Stormont's infrastructure committee, revealed in the Assembly this week that whistleblowers had told her 14 pieces of equipment were once again affected by cracking.

The Department of Infrastructure said that in fact the number was 16, but that the cracks in them are "category C" ones, which are the "lowest category".

It stressed that "these hairline cracks are not the same issue as the cracks identified in scissor lifts at the end of 2019, early 2020", adding: "All lifts remain in service and MOT appointments have not been affected."

However the DVA has been struggling to clear a massive backlog of tests for years, and the possibility that this will make things worse has led some industry figures to speak out.

John Martin, who works on policy for the RHA, said that any vehicle over 3.5 tonnes is classed as an HGV.

Anything less – whether it is carrying goods or not – is put in the same broad category as normal private cars.

The lifts which are affected do not deal with HGVs.

"It's not the same type of equipment," he told the News Letter.

"But that aside, any impact on vehicle testing services will impact their capacity to test vans – and also potentially HGVs.

"The RHA would be concerned about the knock-on effect."

The authorities in Northern Ireland have said that anyone whose MOT certificate expires while they are waiting for a test (a process that can take several months) will not be pursued by police.

However, Mr Martin says the letter of the law remains that all vehicles require up-to-date test certificates, and the lenience shown by authorities in Northern Ireland over the issue is not generally shared by those in Great Britain or the Republic of Ireland - or by insurance companies.

If a vehicle is driving in the Republic for instance and is involved in an accident, not having a valid up-to-date certificate can leave the users "vulnerable", he said.

Stephen Anton, communications manager for the roughly 1,000-driver NI taxi firm FonaCab (which operates about 75% of its fleet in Belfast), said of the news: "The expectation, regardless of the situation with the lifts, is that it's always going to be difficult to get an MOT date – even when things are working perfectly - because there's such a demand and such a backlog.

"It's not going to help: put it that way.

"I know that the DVA have come out and said these are minor defects but I can't imagine, being a public body, that they can ignore minor defects.

"I think they'll have to be investigated and there'll be some down time."