Stormont Infrastructure Minister John O’Dowd explained that advances in vehicle design and safety make this a timely proposal. He highlighted that modern vehicles are built to high standards, which should improve their reliability and safety, supporting the shift to biennial testing.

The Department for Infrastructure is seeking public input on the proposal, which would apply to some private cars, motorcycles, and light goods vehicles.

By 2030, the number of required MOT tests is expected to increase to approximately 1.2 million for light vehicles and 65,000 for heavy vehicles annually. The proposed changes could remove around 253,000 vehicles—26% of the total—from the annual testing system, specifically cars between four and 10 years old and light goods vehicles between three and 10 years old.

In 2024, the Driver Vehicle Agency (DVA) conducted 1.148 million vehicle tests, the second-highest number recorded in a single year. Under the proposal, the first MOT test would remain at four years for private cars and motorcycles and three years for light goods vehicles.

Minister O’Dowd noted that the consultation would examine the impact of the changes on road safety, the environment, insurance costs, and the local automotive industry.

He also mentioned steps already taken to improve testing capacity, including issuing Temporary Exemption Certificates for certain vehicles, recruiting staff, and extending testing hours. As a result, the average waiting time for an MOT had been reduced to 30 days as of January 13, 2025.

O’Dowd emphasized the importance of feedback from the public, the automotive industry, road safety groups, and environmental organizations, all of which will inform the final decision. The consultation runs from January 22 to April 16, 2025.