³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ

Driving and MoT test prices in Northern Ireland are going up from the start of October.

A weekday practical will cost £65 instead of £45.50.

The cost of for cars and light goods vehicles are increasing from £30.50 to £38.

It is the first price rise for most vehicle test fees since 2005 and for most practical driving test fees since 2009, the Department for Infrastructure said.

The price rises will be implemented for tests booked after 1 October, with those booked before that date unaffected.

The changes will also see the price of motorcycle tests rising to £34 and taxis to £147.

The department said the Driver and Vehicle Agency (DVA), which carries out driving and MoT tests, is facing a shortfall in its income due to "the rising cost of delivering services".

It added that the DVA "must cover the cost of delivering services through the income it generates from fees".

The increase in fees follows earlier this year.

There has been a backlog in MoTs since testing was suspended several times in 2020.

A new online booking system was set up in September 2021 to deal with the backlog, but it faced technical problems, creating further delays.