New Isle of Man vehicle and driving test centre to open

About £3.5m was set aside in the latest government budget for the new centre

A new multi-million pound vehicle and driving testing centre is set to open on the Isle of Man in next week.

The government said the newly-built facility on Ballafletcher Road in Braddan is an "efficient and modern" replacement for an older centre nearby.

As well as testing facilities, it has an area for police and recovery teams to store and inspect crashed vehicles.

Infrastructure Minister Tim Crookall said the new site would be "well-used" and become a "real asset".

About £3.5m was earmarked in the 2021-2022 budget for the centre, which due to open for tests and examinations on 27 April.

Twenty-four staff including driving and vehicle examiners will work from the site

It features a large main inspection hall designed to accommodate trucks and trailers, as well as smaller vehicles, a new reception area, offices, and access to the site via a one-way system.

A Department of Infrastructure spokesman said new emissions monitoring equipment had also been installed.

In a statement to planners when seeking permission to build the new facility, the department said the centre would include a room for driving theory tests, which previously had to be taken off-site.

Twenty-four staff are due to man the centre, including driving and vehicle examiners as well as administrative staff managing licensing and parking permits, it added.

Mr Crookall said the government would make the site of the former test centre at Tromode, which is zoned for industrial use, available for investment to "develop the business sector" on the island.