Madam, – My roadworthy, and safe, 2007 Toyota Yaris has failed the NCT, for the trivial reason that one of my front beams was insecure. In fact, one of my front beams was slightly insecure, but my car is safe, and roadworthy, and I had got the all-clear from my local garage man.
Car safety has been taken to a ridiculous level, and those who cannot afford new cars are caught in an NCT, three-way rip-off. I now have to visit my garage man, and pay him, having paid the NCT €50 for my failed test. I will then have to pay the NCT €28 for a retest.
A much fairer system would be one in which the NCT would have to do the repair work on site, and the motorist would pay directly. Alternatively, the motorist should be able to ask his or her own garage do the repair work and send a letter with a billhead to the NCT, allowing a certificate of fitness then to be sent to the motorist.
This would not suit the NCT, but it would put an end to this unjust treatment of motorists, and double trips to the NCT. – Yours, etc,