Car test centres criticised over repayment of fees

MOTORISTS WHO have been charged for a National Car Test (NCT) after they have been forced to wait more than four weeks for a test, are not necessarily being reimbursed despite such an entitlement, Fine Gael TD John O’Mahony has said.

NCT customers who have been on the waiting list for a test for more than four weeks are entitled to a free test but Mr O’Mahony said NCT staff seemed to be unaware of this rule. “I have been contacted by drivers who booked their test, were given a six-week waiting time and were not told that they are entitled to a free test.”

The NCT needed to put a proper procedure in place to ensure people were aware of their rights and testing centres did not impose a charge they weren’t entitled to.

“Many drivers who had to wait over four weeks for their test have already paid the €49 NCT. This must be reimbursed to them without delay.”

A spokeswoman for the NCT confirmed that if an applicant for a test was on the waiting list for four weeks or more they were entitled to a free test.

However if someone contacted the NCT for an appointment and accepted a time outside the four week period they were not entitled to a free test.

There was no issue with people being charged for tests when they were entitled to a free NCT because the appointments were handled by NCT head office, she said. She added that the information in relation to entitlements was freely available in the NCT customer charter.

It was rare that a customer would be waiting longer than four weeks for an appointment, she said.

“The average waiting time is about three weeks, and there is always plenty of availability.”