Minister has questions to answer over MOT test debacle

Roy Beggs MLA, and Ulster Unionist Party Spokesperson for the Environment, has outlined his belief that Sammy Wilson still has to answer some serious questions after he was caught on his motorcycle without MOT or tax early this month. After tabling and receiving answers from Minister Wilson, relating to the incident, Mr. Beggs has expressed serious concern that the Minister responsible for MOT and the Driver and Vehicle regulations should be so ignorant of the law and its importance. In addition he has questioned Mr. Wilson's flippant and derisory response to getting caught.

In a statement Mr. Beggs said, "I still find it astonishing that the Minister for the Environment should be so ignorant of a law that his Department has responsibility for. When the incident occurred I asked the Minster some Assembly question surrounding the issue. I asked him what steps his Department has taken to promote the law concerning the MOT test and vehicle tax".

"In his personal reply he was able to tell me that the DVA has taken a number of actions, these have included the issuing of vehicle test reminders to vehicle owners shortly before a test is due, the publication of an information leaflet on vehicle testing and its impact on road safety, and most recently, the introduction of the mandatory display of vehicle test certificates, with an associated publicity campaign. In addition the registered keepers of vehicles are sent a reminder about 3 weeks before their tax disc is due to expire".

"In light of the actions his own Department has taken to promote the law and remind people of its requirements, Sammy Wilson's claim to ignorance, is inexcusable. If every other member of the public has to inform themselves and abide by the law you would think the Minister responsible for the MOT could do the same. But of course, despite two reminders to tax and to MOT each of his 5 motorcycles, it must be very difficult for Mr Wilson to fit this in between his job as a Belfast City Councillor, his job as an Assembly Member, his job as a Westminster MP and his job as the Minister responsible for Road Safety."

Mr Beggs also asked the Minister to outline the importance of the MOT test in relation to road safety.

Mr. Beggs Said, "The Minister for the Environment told me that evidence suggests the existence of a vehicle testing system like the MOT has a significant impact on road safety. According to the Minister studies have suggested that 4-5% of road traffic collisions are directly attributable to vehicle defects, research in EU and America has indicated that a vehicle testing system can reduce road traffic collisions by between 5 and 17%".

"Each year In Northern Ireland we have a large number of accidents and fatalities on our roads; it would be terrible to think that some of those accidents were attributable in any way to people driving without an MOT certificate".

The fact that the Minister called the law 'absurd' is particularly galling; if a Minister in any other jurisdiction in the British Isles had firstly broken the law, pleaded ignorance to the law, and then called the law stupid because he got caught, would they have gotten off so lightly? For me, on this issue and others the Minister for the Environment has been skating on very thin ice. In the public interest I believe he should retract his comments about the 'stupidity of the rules' concerning driving without an MOT - if we followed Sammy's lead everyone who was driving without an MOT certificate could just claim they were heading for their local garage, and this is clearly an absurd position to defend".