NCT will reverse its decision to go cashless - if mandated

The National Car Testing Service (NCT) service operator will reverse its decision to go cashless, if instructed to do so by the government.

There are 49 NCT centres nationwide with four stationed in Donegal, at Derrybeg, Letterkenny, Donegal Town and Carndonagh.

NCT Chief Operations Officer Brendan Walsh informed an Oireachtas committee this week that if the government mandates that they accept cash, the service will revisit its decision to go cashless.

This follows the backlash from the announcement made on social media by the NCT, stating they would only accept electronic payments, bank drafts, or postal orders. The decision was made public in August and has since sparked much controversy, especially in relation to accessibility for the elderly community.

When speaking about the decision Walsh said: “In relation to offering a cashless service, if we are mandated, we’d have to revisit it because it is in the contract that we’ve entered into with Applus+.”

This move to prohibit the use of cash was made by the service operator Applus+ for the “safety and convenience” of its customers. Applus+ claims the decision was made to facilitate a system of prepayment to avoid the volume of “no-shows” at the centres.

The Minister for Finance Michael McGrath is understood to have put motions in place to prevent public bodies from prohibiting the use of cash as a form of payment.

Walsh also pledged to reduce massive waiting times for the NCT to a contractual agreement of 12 days by the end of this year.