Madam, – The national vehicle test (NCT) is essentially a stealth tax on motorists. One pays to submit a car for testing and one pays for repairs if the car fails.
The stated purpose of the NCT is to improve road safety and reduce pollution. However, the data for road deaths shows that only a very small number of fatalities are due to faulty vehicles. This was true before the introduction of the NCT. The National Safety Council doesn’t even list mechanical failure in its accident statistics. The chief causes are driver error, speeding and alcohol consumption.
Regarding the reduction of air pollution, the Government’s attitude is inconsistent. It is true that older cars produce dirtier waste gases but scrapping a car and replacing it with a new one generates substantial amounts of pollution. The Ford Motor Company estimates that producing a small car results in the emission of 5.9 tonnes of CO2. Thus the cost of a negligible improvement in local air quality is passed on to the motorist and the atmosphere at large.
If the Government was sincere and serious about pollution and CO2 emissions it would encourage other modes of transport instead of encouraging the scrappage of often serviceable cars. If the Government was really concerned about vehicle maintenance, it would enforce random testing of cars rather than periodic testing. As anyone knows, an NCT certificate does not a guarantee a car will not malfunction thereafter. It is possible to pass the NCT and within a few weeks have illegal tyres and worn brakes.
In essence, the NCT is entirely the wrong tool to enforce vehicle maintenance and environmental standards. It is, however, a useful way to coerce motorists to purchase cars upon which tax is levied. This is the real clue to the NCT’s existence. Irish voters’ preference for unrealistic low personal and corporate taxation is the reason the Government has created the NCT. This is perhaps the most salient factor in this discussion. – Yours, etc,