South Meath Driving School

The Road Safety Authority (RSA) is carrying out a review to assess the current arrangements for the National Car Testing Service (NCTS). The NCTS is provided under contract by Applus Car Testing Service Ltd, which is responsible for all aspects of the delivery of the service. The RSA is seeking your input on the current service and on opportunities for further improvement. The RSA wish to hear from those who have positive feedback of the current service and also from those who may have suggestions for improvement. Where you consider changes are necessary, suggestions as to how the current NCTS arrangements can be improved would be welcomed. Please note that this review covers the service as a whole and if you have a specific complaint relating to a vehicle or test, please refer to the normal complaints procedure accessible through www.ncts.ie. We would be grateful if you would complete this feedback form to assist us in understanding the opinions of NCTS customers and other stakeholders. We expect it will take about 10 minutes to complete. Thank you for your time.

Above is the introduction to the RSA’s Survey Monkey review of the NCT. Anyone with access to a computer should spend the valuable 10 minutes  that it takes to complete the survey. Go to RSA.ie to find it.

Of all the tests that the unfortunate motorist has to undergo, I hear most complaints railed against the operators of the NCT. It is your chance to present your tuppence worth! While it’s only a survey and you may not see any or many changes in the near future, let your shout be heard. Same for those who vote on election day. I often hear individuals say ‘Mine is only one vote, what will it matter?’ What folly. If it cannot be counted then it won’t matter. Look at the Keenagh count centre in Longford-Westmeath. The no. 2, 3  etc. vote counted bigtime.

The cost of the test at 55 euro and a retest at half that is there to challenge. The payment method by laser card only is mooted. God be with the death of the half crown and its horse and the penny with the clocking hen! Soon we won’t need to have a penny in the pocket.

If it is a visual retest only, at present, it’s free. My whinge – and I’m not from Mayo – is the appeal system. There is little effort made to let us know what is available as regards appealing. You are gone home with the unwanted result, when a complaint should have been made there and then with the supervisor. If your journey was from Ballynacarrigy to Kells, there’s not much point having to return to Kells to show your car fault the next day or in a week to the supervisor. He may tell you the fault could have been meddled with meanwhile. As for appealing to the independent assessors with your complaint, well, I found that they held exactly with the supervisor in the NCT centre. Oh, but you can always go to the District Court and appeal. Another waste of time, energy and money. How the NCT people know that. Yes you might get a favourable result. So did Pyrrhus defeat the Romans in the 3rd century, at what cost? He gave us the phrase, ‘A Pyrrhic victory.’

The pressure on those NCT garages is severe. They’re open seven days a week to cope. Surely that asks questions of the service provider as to the efficiency of that service. How much overtime is being worked? Are the demands too great on staff? If the queue is long, can the inspection be always adequate? Might one unroadworthy vehicle accidently get back on the road for a further year or two? Let your voice be heard.

As a driving instructor, I so often hear the innocent youngster bemoaning the fact that it’s difficult to acquire a first car. I remind them of the cost. The motorist is screwed from morning to night, January 1 to December 31 and in a leap year on February 29th! With quotes of up to 5,000 for a first insurance, just where would you be going? Protecting a No Claims Bonus is another costly affair with the majority of motorists paying out thousands in cash for the privilege. Then there’s NCT and the rest. And beware of yellow lines if you need a newspaper.

Like Frank Kelly might have said, boys a boys, it’s still great to be young. Enjoy the bus ride, though, for as long as you can.