It has been revealed that 16 vehicle lifts at MOT test stations in Northern Ireland have been affected by hairline cracks, in what some may see as a replay of a similar issue from 2019.
The issue was brought by DUP MLA Deborah Erskine at the Northern Ireland Assembly earlier this week. Thankfully for the affected test stations, the equipment remains operational and the stations are still open.
Cracks in 52 of the 55 scissor lifts operational across the country’s MOT centres, which are Government-ran, led to a mass-replacement of vehicle lifts in 2020, costing £1.8m.
That mass failure of scissor lifts led to a huge backlog in MOTs, which cost the Government nearly £4m and is still affecting MOT throughput today.
N.I ministers, as well as the test station workers and the workshops which depend on them, will be hoping this isn’t a serious problem. Indeed, the DVA has reassured the public that “these hairline cracks are not the same issue as the cracks identified in scissor lifts at the end of 2019, early 2020.”
The DVA’s spokesperson continued, “independent inspectors have reported their findings on the hairline cracks as category C, which is their lowest category.
“The DVA has robust maintenance arrangements in place to ensure all vehicle testing equipment operates safely and effectively. All lifts remain in service and MOT appointments have not been affected.”
