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THE FEE CHARGED by the National Car Testing Service to inspect your car is about to get more expensive.
Currently an NCT costs €50 but that is set to rise by 10 per cent to €55 on 1 February
This will be the first price hike since 2009, the Department of Transport said in a statement to TheJournal.ie today.
The price hike will not be the start of a continuing trend, however, as Minister Leo Varadkar has committed to freezing the price for at least three years.
Varadkar said the increase is part of his strategy to make the RSA self-financing to reduce the burden of the mandatory testing to the Exchequer.
Failure rates
In 2011, about 50 per cent of the 985,306 vehicles that took the test passed.
Of the 50 per cent that failed, 420,114 were successful on their second attempt.
About 641 cars which failed their second tests were also deemed dangerous.
The €28 charge for retests will remain unchanged.
Separately, the NCT has advised that it will no longer accept cheques as a valid form of payment. Cash, laser cards and credit cards will be the only methods available.
It has been a rough few months for motorists as Budget 2012 saw price jumps in both motor tax and petrol.
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