NCT - driving license requirement?

quenching

Why do the NCT centres now have signs up saying that you need to produce your driving license or passport as identification when presenting your car for testing? I wasn't asked for mine and nor were the 3 people in front of me but another person was. I can find no mention in the NCT manual that you need to produce identification, nor any mention that the registered owner has to present the vehicle. It does state on the NCTS website that you will be asked for ID but that doesn't mean its legal to do so. I've brought my wife's car, my mother's car and a friend's car so what the point of asking for ID and why should I comply?

They also say you need to produce the vehicle registration cert, but I can find no mention of this in the NCTS manual either, or their website.

I'm getting old and cranky and can't be bothered complying with "rules" that have no apparent legal basis. Just because the NCTS want to see some ID doesn't mean I'm legally obliged to produce it, or does it?

charlemont

Had to show mine yesterday at the re test although I didn't have to show it two weeks ago, Another useless rule just for the sake of it.

-Chris-

Other than not being legally required, have you any other reason to not want to show the VLC or your identification?

quenching

-Chris- wrote: »

Other than not being legally required, have you any other reason to not want to show the VLC or your identification?

No, none at all, mine are all perfectly fine but I'm not a fan of being asked to produce official documentation just because someone decides they'd like to see it. Its either a legal requirement and should be enforced, or its not and shouldn't be entertained by anyone.

slimjimmc

They are very much legally entitled to require a driver's licence or passport and to refuse to do the test if you don't produce. Can't find anything that says that the person presenting the car for testing must be the owner though, just that that person must have ID.

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/2009/en/si/0567.html

“required identification” means, in relation to any person submitting a vehicle for testing in accordance with these Regulations, a driving licence or passport, for the time being in force, held by the person or such other photographic identification in respect of the person that the issuing authority may require, from time to time;

Conditions in respect of applications
5. Where an application is made for a test, the issuing authority may refuse to carry out the test or a re-test—

(a) on a vehicle in respect of which prior application for an appointment for the test or re-test had not been made,

(b) where the appropriate fee under Regulation 6 has not been paid in respect of a test certificate,

(c) where the owner or the driver of the vehicle to be tested fails to produce the vehicle registration book, vehicle registration certificate or vehicle licensing certificate in respect of the vehicle at the time of test or re-test,

(d) where the vehicle identification number of the vehicle to be tested as shown on the vehicle registration book, vehicle registration certificate or vehicle licensing certificate, whichever is produced, is not the same as that on the vehicle,

(e) where the issuing authority considers that the vehicle to be tested is in such a condition that it would not be safe or practicable to carry out the test or re-test, or

(f) where the person who presents the vehicle to be tested fails to produce the required identification.

corktina

i imagine its wanted to cut out the possibility that the car being presented may be a ringer of some sort.

BeardyGit

It's to do with failing the car on a 'fail - dangerous' status.

They'll have confirmed the identification of the person who presented the vehicle for testing and who may subsequently get into the vehicle and drive it away on the public roads. Such an action will be reported to the Gardaí by the NCTS and I would sincerely hope allow the Gardaí pursue a prosecution.

naughtysmurf

I've been taking both mine and the missus' car for testing over the years and the only thing I've ever been asked to produce is €50

amiable

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/motors/2011/0525/1224297695921.html

AN INVESTIGATION INTO alleged flaws in the equipment used for the National Car Test (NCT) carried out prior to the Prime Time revelations last week, failed to identify any significant problems.
The investigation was carried out by PricewaterhouseCoopers under its contract to audit the NCT systems and equipment on behalf of service operator Applus.
It began after the Road Safety Authority received an anonymous letter from vehicle testers based at Dublin NCT centres in February claiming the equipment being used to test cars was defective and motorists were being given incorrect results leading to unsafe cars being passed.
It claimed each centre had “reliable” lanes used for trade cars or vehicles belonging to motorists who had complained after failing a test.
The letter questioned the overall consistency of the test and claimed the AA – which performs a mystery shopper audit function for PwC by bringing the same car to a number of test centres – “can’t even get the same result in two lanes beside each other”. The staff claimed they had raised their concerns repeatedly with the AA.
In its response to the allegations, issued to the RSA board two weeks later, PwC said all the main test equipment used to check brakes, lights, shock absorbers and side slip had been replaced last year. Applus took over the 10-year contract worth in excess of €400 million in January 2010.
It compared the pass-fail rates for vehicles across a range of test criteria and found “no significant variance” between results for 2009 and 2010. The widest variance identified was 0.7 per cent.
With regard to the claim that trade cars and those belonging to frustrated customers were tested on “reliable lanes”, PwC said the NCT had an “inbuilt random-allocation feature” which assigned a customer vehicle to an inspector who determined the lane.
PwC said Applus was “firmly of the view” that all 91 test lanes were standard and there was no concept of reliable lanes. The AA’s most recent consistency test, in September, found a 99 per cent compliance rate, “which compares favourably with similar tests in previous years,” PwC said.
PwC said AA engineers received many comments from NCT staff during their tests, including “references to the company’s productivity expectations” and the pressure the staff claim this puts on them.
Last week three NCT vehicle testers were sacked after a Prime Time programme appeared to show vehicle testers accepting a €100 bribe in return for passing a taxi that had recently failed a test. It is understood the three testers who were dismissed were based at the Fonthill NCT centre in Dublin.
The programme suggested it was possible to arrange to have a specific tester inspect a specific car.
Four other vehicle testers were suspended after the programme and An Garda has begun an investigation into allegations of fraud and the certifying of unroadworthy vehicles.
Management at Applus has begun an internal inquiry and all NCT staff are being interviewed individually in a bid to determine whether the alleged fraud occurred at other test centres

Mar4ix

ive been asked for VLC, I said it not with me, just asked my address, and name, and 50 euro.
Car has to be tested and safe on roads, and get 50 euro from car... Legal problems has to viewed in other house.

Id say nobody would go to nct with stolen car.

quenching

slimjimmc wrote: »

They are very much legally entitled to require a driver's licence or passport and to refuse to do the test if you don't produce. Can't find anything that says that the person presenting the car for testing must be the owner though, just that that person must have ID.

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/2009/en/si/0567.html

Thanks slimjimmc, didn't think of looking at the Road Traffic (National Car Test) Regulations, and BeardyGit's explanation as to the reason for requiring it seems reasonable. However, as I said earlier neither I nor most of the people in the queue with me were asked for ID, but some were. There was only one person taking payments and checking details etc so its not that one staff member was asking and another not asking. This sort of inconsistency in applying the regulations is what causes people to complain about the NCT and claim an element of unfairness.

corktina

Mar4ix wrote: »

ive been asked for VLC, I said it not with me, just asked my address, and name, and 50 euro.
Car has to be tested and safe on roads, and get 50 euro from car... Legal problems has to viewed in other house.

Id say nobody would go to nct with stolen car.

not is they know about it or know they have to produce ID:D