New Hydebank MoT test centre faces further delays

Drivers in Northern Ireland will have to wait even longer than expected for MoT test backlogs to clear after a new vehicle test centre which was due to open by the end of this year has once again been delayed, UTV can reveal.

MoT vehicle testing centre at Hydebank, which was initially due to open in 2022, was expected to begin before the end of this year.

The hope had been that once the site is open, that it would help increase capacity within the current vehicle testing system and therefore reduce MoT waiting times.

It can now be revealed that the Department for Infrastructure has "served a notice to terminate its contract" with a vehicle testing equipment company "with immediate effect".

The department has said that the move will have no impact on vehicle testing at any of its existing 15 test centres.

UTV was told by a spokesperson from Worldwide Environmental Products Inc. that the company "has commenced legal proceedings".

The issue came to light at a meeting of the Infrastructure Committee on Wednesday.

The Chair of the scrutiny committee Deborah Erskine told UTV that the development was "concerning".

"There will be a long road now going forward in terms of what the next steps will be for the department in resolving this development," she added.

UTV can exclusively reveal that the department served a notice to terminate its contract with Worldwide Environmental Products Inc with immediate effect on 9th October 2024.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the department said a new procurement process is now under way which is expected to "take a number of months".

They added that, "regrettably, this will further delay the opening of the new test centre at Hydebank, Belfast, for vehicle testing".The Department also emphasised: "This will not impact on the provision of vehicle testing at the DVA's existing network of 15 test centres, as the equipment at these test centres is provided and maintained under a different contract".

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