Diesel cars: Is it time to switch to a cleaner fuel?

Snail · Post by **Snail** » 26 Sep 2018, 00:41

From tonights bbc1 ni spotlight programme, emissions testing from diesel cars haven't been carried out in northern ireland for 12 years.

For reason of health&safety in the mot centres (in ni MOTs arent done in private garages) and time constraints (emmissions test would add an extra 10 minutes or so), only a basic visual check is carried out. Although, in the programme even this wasn't done.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-45643031

Potemkin Villager · Post by **Potemkin Villager** » 27 Sep 2018, 18:40

Although the Noriron MOT test centres are "government run" it seems they are operated under the wonderful Public Finance Initiative (although the programme did not say who the lucky private sector operator was who had acquired such a desirable license to print money). It would seem that carrying out the emission tests would have seriously dented the profitability so they were dropped on the pretense of elfin safety issues.

Don't be surprised to discover eventually that the operator is well connected to the DUP.

Snail · Post by **Snail** » 27 Sep 2018, 22:29

That wouldn't surprise me. Tbh, I'd probably be more surprised if there wasn't some connection.