Calls to adopt Larne MOT centre road

Chris McAdam visited the Larne MOT centre, located just off Ballyboley Road, at the end of January.

However, as he was entering the centre he hit a large pothole, which damaged his car.

“I had got my car ready for its MOT and I went down that night when it was dark so I didn’t see the hole in the road,” Chris recalled.

“The pothole was massive and it busted the shock absorber.

“When I got out to see the pothole my size 12 feet were dwarfed by the size of it. The car failed the MOT, so I had to pay £180 to get it repaired and re-tested.”

Last week, the Times revealed that the road has not been adopted by the DRD and is privately owned.

While the DOE, which runs MOT centres, said it had contacted the owner regarding the condition of the road, they refused to disclose the owner’s identity.

“I think that the DRD should adopt that road,” Chris continued.

“The public has no choice but to get their cars MOT’d so the road should be kept in a satisfactory condition for public access.

“Why should I have to foot another bill after I’ve already spent money to get my car into good shape for the test?

“It’s double standards on the part of the MOT centre. They want you to keep your car to a certain standard but they should keep that road to a good standard for safety reasons too.”

Chris has been advised by East Antrim MP Sammy Wilson to search for the road owner’s details on the land registry to pursue a personal claim.

Mr Wilson echoed Chris’s call for the DRD to adopt the road.

“Even if the road isn’t the DRD’s legal responsibility, given that it is used for a public service I believe the test centre should do something, even if it just takes responsibility for fixing the holes rather than passing the buck,” he told the Times.

“Learner drivers do their tests and the road should be in a safe condition.