Sir, – When the NCT system was set up, it provided centres in each country to provide a local service.
Dermot O’Rourke’s journey to Donegal from Lucan (Letters, May 30th) to obtain an on-time test shows how abjectly this Government has failed to sustain this model.
Consider the environmental cost of travelling 430 kilometres roundtrip for a test which should be available locally, plus the lost day for travelling there and back.
And what if a retest is required?
The reason Dublin NCT centres can’t cope is because they can’t get the staff, with the cost or even availability of affordable accommodation being a big factor, so Dublin drivers are being shifted down the country to centres close to Dublin, while users of those centres are being suggested to use centres further afield again.
Bearing in mind the huge environmental cost of unnecessary travel to NCT centres outside your county and the legal requirement to have a valid NCT for your vehicle, the lack of action by the Government on this matter is unbelievable.
A vague statement from the Government that the Garda may be understanding is hardly acceptable, and ultimately, the insurance company may not be quite so understanding in the event of a potential massive claim.
The Government itself needs to take positive action to make the NCT system work again, not rely on other organisations to turn a blind eye.
Every driver should be able to get a local NCT locally and on time. – Yours, etc,
DAVID DORAN,
Bagenalstown,
Co Dublin.