Planning permission has been approved for a new £9.7m MOT Vehicle Test Centre by councillors in Antrim and Newtownabbey.
The new 4,080m square meter state of the art premises at Craigarogan Business Park in Mallusk will employ up to 41 employees. It will have nine lanes in total – seven for cars and two for HGVS - allowing for over 400 tests each day.
The news comes as Northern Ireland drivers continue to tackle huge backlogs of drivers seeking appointments.
Read more: Call for substantial change and investment to reform NI's 'broken MOT system'
The combination of Covid restrictions and the January 2020 lift equipment crisis has meant MOT testing has been a chronic problem for both motorists and vehicle retailers in Northern Ireland for the past two years.
This has created a backlog and motorists are now regularly having to travel hundreds of miles to secure an appointment in some cases.
Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey, Alderman Stephen Ross has welcomed this major investment by the Driver and Vehicle Agency (DVA).
He said: "Vehicle Testing centres have been under immense pressure to meet the demands for tests following coronavirus and the increased capacity of this new site will help address this issue."
Chair of Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council's Planning Committee Alderman Dr Fraser Agnew added: “This multi-million investment will contribute to the council's plans for £1bn investment and the creation of 2500 high paid jobs by 2025.”
Last month, the National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA), which represents car and commercial retailers across the UK and Northern Ireland, said substantial change and investment is required to effectively rectify and reform Northern Ireland's "broken MOT system".
The Driver and Vehicle Agency (DVA) has said it has steadily increased its vehicle testing capacity to pre-Covid levels by adopting a range of measures.
This includes the recruitment of additional vehicle examiners, the use of overtime to provide cover for leave and by offering vehicle test appointments on a Sunday and bank holidays, when testing is not normally available.
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Do we need to rethink the entire way Northern Ireland's drivers get their cars MOTed? Let us know in the comments below
