The new Vehicle Testing Centre will open for businesson Wednesday 27 April on a purpose-built site featuring modern testing equipment and improved facilities.
The construction of the new centre on Ballafletcher Road, and nearby relocation of services, was initiated in order to make the existing site available for investment and assist the development needs of the Island.
Test centre staff are currently in the process of preparing to close the existing site on Friday afternoon (April 22) ahead of next week’s opening – they include vehicle and driving examiners, together with the licensing and parking permit teams, and administration staff.
All Vehicle Testing Centre services will be closed Monday-Tuesday April 25-26. The contact details will remain the same from Wednesday 27 April, and any disruption will be kept to a minimum as the teams settle in.
The new facility has a much more efficient layout, having been planned from scratch under a design-and-build contract undertaken by main contractor Tooms Bros Ltd.
Public access will be available from Ballafletcher Road, where gateway signage will lead visitors to the car park and main reception area. A one-way system will improve overall safety for vehicles entering the secure testing, examination and storage compound.
The majority of the main inspection hall is designed to accommodate large trucks and trailers. The area will also enable examinations to take place on smaller vehicles in an environment designed to comply with current safety and ventilation standards.
New emissions monitoring equipment has been installed to assist in meeting the latest vehicle emissions regulations, and represents an improvement to services through investment in the latest technology.
Infrastructure Minister Tim Crookall MHK said:
‘We know the new Vehicle Testing Centre will be well-used and look forward to it becoming a real asset to the Isle of Man. While undertaking the relocation process, the opportunity has been taken to introduce emissions testing equipment, improve parking facilities and create a secure evidence compound.
‘The Department of Infrastructure is working with colleagues from the Department for Enterprise to ensure the previous site can be used to further develop the business sector on our Island.’
