MoT tests: Hydebank centre opening faces further delays

The new test centre at Hydebank was due to open in 2022

A new MoT centre at Hydebank which was originally supposed to open in 2022 will now not open until mid-2025 at the earliest, BBC News NI understands.

The Driver & Vehicle Agency (DVA) has issued a notice of termination to Worldwide Environmental Products Inc (WEP Inc), a US-based company which had installed the testing equipment and software at the centre.

Stormont’s infrastructure minister has accused WEP Inc of “failing to properly install and commission the equipment in accordance with the contract”.

A new tender process is due to get under way and that is likely to take up to four months.

In a statement, a spokesperson for WEP Inc told BBC News NI the company “strongly deny and refute the assertions which have been made and we look forward to the facts in this matter being ventilated as part of our legal proceedings which have already commenced”.

Contractual problems

The notice of termination which was issued on 9 October is the second time the DVA has attempted to end the contract.

A previous effort was made in February 2022, however, the company challenged this termination in court and won forcing the DVA to maintain the contract.

The new test centre at Hydebank was granted planning permission in 2019 with a planned completion date of 2022.

The opening was then pushed back to March 2023, and then to the end of 2023. It is now unlikely to open until well into 2025.

Worldwide Environmental Products Inc was awarded a contract in 2019 for the supply, installation, commission, calibration and maintenance of vehicle testing equipment, integrated test lane software, all associated IT hardware, licences and management information systems.

Earlier this year, the DVA attributed the delays in part to "contractual problems" with WEP Inc.

Infrastructure Minister John O'Dowd said that issues with the test centre were raised earlier this year

Minister John O‘Dowd has briefed members of Stormont’s infrastructure committee about the legal disputes and delays.

In the written briefing he says WEP Inc “failed to property install and commission the equipment in accordance with the contract despite being provided with every opportunity to remedy the myriad of issues which have been identified by the DVA”.

The minister said that, regrettably, earlier this year a “significant number of issues were identified, some of which are health and safety critical".

He outlines some of the issues as:

• Vehicle lift certification & safety

• Electrical installation

• User acceptance testing

• Unprofessional approach to cyber security

• Inability to develop and supply a fault report system

The new test centre at Hydebank is now unlikely to open until well into 2025

The briefing goes on to say the DVA disagrees with WEP Inc’s contention that the only outstanding issues relate to “minor amendments or enhancements”, and says WEP Inc has “attempted to downplay the significance of the outstanding issues”.

On 9 October the DVA issued a notice of termination to WEP Inc, which had immediate effect, and advertised a new procurement competition for the supply of new vehicle test equipment.

“The DVA expects that Worldwide (WEP Inc) will almost certainly refuse to accept the termination as valid. They will likely contend that the DVA was not entitled to terminate and may seek an injunction restraining such termination, as they did previously,” Mr O’Dowd adds.

“The DVA expects the tender and evaluation period of the new procurement competition to take three to four months.

"The award of the contract could be delayed if this is challenged in the courts by Worldwide (WEP Inc).”

No impact on other centres

Speaking on the BBC's Sunday Politics programme, DUP MLA Deborah Erskine, who chairs the infrastructure committee, said it was important to "get to the bottom of these issues".

"The minister in March raised that he was concerned about equipment, I raised that I was concerned about equipment back in March as well and those fears have been realised.

"Now we’re in a situation where there’s a legal challenge, which could cost the department millions of pounds.”

A spokesperson for the Driver Vehicle Agency said the new procurement process would take a number of months to complete.

"Regrettably, this will further delay the opening of new test centre at Hydebank, Belfast, for vehicle testing," it said.

"This will not impact on the provision of vehicle testing at the DVA’s existing network of 15 test centres, as the equipment at these test centres is provided and maintained under a different contract.

"The DVA has taken steps to maximise vehicle testing capacity through the recruitment of new examiners and by offering appointments on Sundays and bank holidays, when testing is not normally available."

It also said the introduction of Temporary Exemption Certificates from 1 June 2024, for five and seven year-old cars was also having a "positive impact" on MoT waiting times.