NCT backlog

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121302997#Comment_121302997

Not everyone needs to be on it. You only need to be on it when your NCT is due soon.

There are more 2/3 slots on the priority list for near appointments.

They should stop people being able to book months in advance. Its creating a catch 22.

FishOnABike

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121302984#Comment_121302984

I think the issue is called incompetence.

monkeybutter

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121303071#Comment_121303071

There are 300k plus who are past due

Elessar

Update: I went in to reschedule and noticed that if you click the refresh buttons next to the center names, that new dates would pop up every few minutes. Got a date in Feb, then later December and finally got a slot for this Wednesday. Now just have to see if I can get time off work.

Moral of the story: keep refreshing you'll eventually find a closer date!

FishOnABike

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121303071#Comment_121303071

They should just make enough appointments bookable online to meet demand in time. If they can't meet the demand a second NCT company should be appointed.

Looking online now I can't get an NCT until almost two months after it is due. The earliest appointment it shows as available is seven months away!

If I want to ensure my car is tested on time and has time for a retest, if needed, I would have to try booking online nine months in advance. That is beyond ridiculous. The target waiting time service level is twelve days!

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121304137#Comment_121304137

Or you could just call them and get an appointment within a couple of weeks.

con___manx1

The nct centres should be open 24 hours. That's the way it's done in Germany.

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121304215#Comment_121304215

They tried that but too many residents complained

JVince

Very simple solution. Cars are better than ever. Change 1st NCT test to year 5.

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121304064#Comment_121304064

I'm not surprised considering how many in this thread are determined to stay in the slow queue, even after a faster process has been pointed out to them.

Allinall

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121304257#Comment_121304257

If those 300k went for the faster process, it would then de facto become the slow queue.

The system isn’t fit for purpose.

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121304270#Comment_121304270

This thread suggests otherwise.

lucalux

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121304090#Comment_121304090

I'm glad you got sorted, but I really think this point is lost on some.

The slots are released back onto the system for online booking

Yes it takes a bit of time/patience, but all we need to do is keep the NCT booking page open, and *keep refreshing*

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121304351#Comment_121304351

Only a third are released. The rest are held in the priority booking.

The refreshing thing hasn't worked for me for years.

lucalux

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121304498#Comment_121304498

I thought they were released back onto the system closer to the date

"The available appointments that customers see online only represent approximately 1/3 of the actual appointments available for that time. NCTS will open the full capacity or the remaining 2/3 of appointments two weeks ahead when we finalise our schedules and know what staff are available that week."

Just checked there for the craic, got an appt at my local centre for tomorrow if i wanted it

FishOnABike

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121304351#Comment_121304351

Depending on pot luck and a race condition with other people trying to book an NCT online is not a functional booking system.

FishOnABike

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121304955#Comment_121304955

Can you book one for next month at a time and date of your choice?

The target waiting time service level is twelve days.

If the booking system was working as it should I should be able to go online and book a test within the next fortnight or more and select a time and date that suits me.

That I can't even pick any date within the next seven months shows the booking system is completely disfunctional.

_Kaiser_

NCT is due on my car next month but I went onto the site week before last and as expected saw dates of April 2024 as the next available.

Right under that though is the option to be added to the priority list (you don't even need to call them) so clicked that and selected my availability. Received confirmation within minutes via email.

Got the test date on Thursday last week - set for a week later than the renewal date so that'll do nicely.

Whatever about the mess that is the backlog and running of these centres, but the process itself to get a reasonable date (even in these times) is extremely easy.

FishOnABike

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121304351#Comment_121304351

I think it's lost on some that little or none of the two thirds ever get released back into the online booking system because they will already have been allocated to those in the 'priority' queue.

The booking system is a total shambles.

It should be simple. How many cars are due to be tested in any time period (week/month/90 days), how many retests can be expected, how many cancellations or no-shows can be expected. Plan for that capacity (plus some buffer capacity) and make it all bookable online.

Hiding the majority of their test capacity seems to be solely for the purpose of Applus+ avoiding being penalised and having to provide free tests for not meeting their service level agreement.

The Department of Transport messed up when the 10 year contract was renewed in 2020. It should have included strong, target driven penalty clauses to encourage Applus+ to meet its targets and allow for introducing a competitor if targets were not met.

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121304955#Comment_121304955

That you can get a date on priority list within the next week or so but not on the main system suggests otherwise.

Flinty997

There really isn't any need to book months in advance.

The reason the priority list works is it's only dealing with 2 weeks at a time. Thats 1/24 of the possible dates in a year. But with 2/3 of the slots to supply it.

You can't "fill up" the priority list. Because you can't use it unless your date is near, I assume within 2 weeks.

People book unnecessarily early because of the delays. But thats actually adding to the bottleneck.

No doubt there's something broken in how the main booking process works. Going back to when the lifts broke many years ago.

They've hired more testers and expanded their opening hours. So that's also having an effect.

FishOnABike

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121305366#Comment_121305366

So even the priority list couldn't get you a test appointment which would allow you to continue to legally drive your car on the road, and that's not even allowing that you might need a retest.

That's not what I'd consider reasonable or a functioning system.

Flinty997

No one on this thread is arguing it's a functioning system.

monkeybutter

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121304257#Comment_121304257

it wont work for 300k, I mean how hard is that to understand

the queuing system hasnt changed

they added in later hours and I'd say by this time next year it will be back to normal

plus once a year passes you just move onto 2024

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121306600#Comment_121306600

If there are 300k waiting for appointments, and the few posters including the OP talk about 6 mouth wait.

How come others can get an appointment within two weeks.

monkeybutter

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121306813#Comment_121306813

there were 450k that were past the NCT date at one stage

There are always cancelations

Some people are flexible

You can either get the cancelations by being on the list

Or by looking late at night etc

There are not enough of them for everyone

Simple enough

FishOnABike

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121306813#Comment_121306813

Just because a few people can snatch the ephemeral cancellations that appear and disappear as quickly as snow in the Sahara at odd hours late in the night doesn't mean that everyone who has a car due for its NCT can book a suitable appointment within a reasonable timeframe.

If one person can win the euromillions lottery why can't everybody ?

FishOnABike

Just checked online again for the second or third day. Each time there was only one appointment available on one day within one or two days and none then until 21st May

My NCT us due the second half of March. It looks like the best option is not to bother trying to book in advance for the NCT. Wait until January and ask to be put on the priority list (hoping whatever random offering I'm given suits) and leaves time for retest if needed.

Then for next year, try booking online early June to hopefully book a suitable test appointment for mid January.

If anything the situation seems to be worse than the last time I booked the NCT.

And just to rub salt into the wound the NCT booking site says in bold at the bottom of the page "It is your responsibility to ensure your vehicle holds a valid NCT at all times."

This is why people book months in advance.

It's a complete farce having to book an annual test nine or ten months in advance when the target waiting time service level is twelve days!

Booked my NCT back in early July, next available date was 6th of November (next Monday) so took it. Car long out of date by now. Got notice today that the centre cancelled the appointment. Very infuriating.

FishOnABike

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121311146#Comment_121311146

Did they reschedule it or just cancel it?