Computer glitch causes all MOT appointments in Northern Ireland to be cancelled

All MOT appointments were cancelled in Northern Ireland on Wednesday morning after a computer glitch.

Motorists arrived at centres across the country to be told their vehicle couldn’t be tested.

The online booking system was also impacted.

A spokesperson for the Driver Vehicle Agency said: “A technical issue with the booking system early this morning resulted in a number of vehicle tests being cancelled across all test centres.

"The matter was resolved at 10.30am, allowing normal testing services to resume.

"The DVA will directly contact those customers affected to reschedule their appointments at the earliest opportunity and apologise for the inconvenience caused.”

The cancellations further compounded the MOT crisis here, with some waiting six months for an appointment.

While motorists have been able to drive their vehicle without a valid MOT as long as they had one booked in the future, it is not legal to drive an untaxed vehicle. But to tax a vehicle, it requires a valid MOT as well as insurance.

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