Concerns have been raised that the new Hydebank MoT centre, which was initially due to open in 2022, is unlikely to be operational before 2026.

UTV can exclusively reveal that the Driver and Vehicle Agency (DVA) has reached agreement with the vehicle testing equipment company that was due to kit out the site to “terminate its contract by mutual consent”.

Worldwide Environmental Products Inc (WEP), a US-based company with strong European ties, entered a legal dispute with the DVA in late 2024 after it had received a notice of termination with immediate effect.

The DVA told UTV that a new procurement process is under way and it hopes to “be in a position to award the new contract later this year”.

Deborah Erskine MLA, Chair of Stormont's Infrastructure Committee, welcomes the agreement but has queries over the opening date and the cost to the public purse

She said: "The legal process is now over and there has been some agreement reached however what that will mean in practice still has to be realised.

"Whenever you look at procurement, whenever you look at tender processes, that takes time.

"Realistically, we are looking at a further delay in terms of the test centre being open.

"We are potentially looking now at 2026, but again that detail has to come forward from the Department."

There are currently 15 MoT vehicle test centres across Northern Ireland. Two more centres are in the pipeline - Hydebank and Mallusk. Both have faced numerous delays.

Once the new centres are open, it’s expected that they will increase capacity within the MoT system to offer around 200,000 extra vehicle tests each year.

Hydebank MoT centre was granted planning permission back in 2019.

In the same year WEP Inc secured a contract to supply and install vehicle testing equipment with the DVA.

In February 2022, the DVA attempted to end that contract however the company successfully challenged the move in court.

A second attempt to end the contract came on 9 October 2024 when the DVA issued WEP Inc with a notice of termination with immediate effect.

The then Infrastructure Minister, John O’Dowd, informed his department’s scrutiny committee of the move through a written briefing paper in which he accused WEP Inc of “failing to properly install and commission the equipment in accordance with the contract” - something which the company strenuously refutes and denies.

After receiving the notice of termination, WEP once again launched legal proceedings against the DVA.

UTV can reveal that the DVA has confirmed that both parties have now agreed to “terminate the contract by mutual consent”.

In a statement, the DVA added: “An open procurement competition for a new Vehicle Testing Solution has been advertised and it is estimated the DVA will be in a position to award the new contract later this year.”

UTV asked the DVA what, if any, financial agreement had been reached with WEP Inc in the termination process. The DVA did not respond.

UTV has also contacted WEP for comment.

While work is ongoing to open the new test centres, the DVA has reduced the backlog in MoT testing from around 100 days to around 30 days.

It’s achieved this in a number of ways, including employing more staff and offering tests on Sundays and Bank Holidays.

The biggest mitigation, however, has been the DVA’s removal of around 10% of cars from the system through the introduction of one year Temporary Exemption Certificates (TECs) for cars aged 5 and 7.

A move which has in part enabled the DVA to achieve record breaking testing rates according to the latest data.

The Department for Infrastructure recently held a 12-week consultation on the possibility of introducing biennial testing which closed on 16 April 2025.