SGS passes its Irish MOT test

The SGS Ireland consortium has been selected by the Irish government as its preferred bidder to provide a network of national car testing centres in Eire.

Five consortia were lined up to bid for the scheme with British interest centring on an Amey Ventures-led team. However, Amey pulled out of the bidding one week before bids were due to be returned. Explaining the move, an Amey source said that the scheme needed a lot of work and had to be very carefully thought through - the firm felt it was not in a position to make a bid within the timescale.

Other bidders included Capita, German outfit Dekra and Irish Car Testing, which was led by an Irish bus company.

SGS is a subsidiary of a Swiss-based international company employing 40,000 people worldwide and providing a wide range of testing and quality assurance services. SGS is expected to provide some 39 test centres around the country, along with a number of mobile test centres. The vast majority of the population will be within 30 miles of a test centre.

The car testing scheme is being set up to comply with an EU Directive requiring the compulsory testing of motor vehicles. At present Eire only has mandatory testing of commercial vehicles.

The contract should be finalised before Christmas and testing of cars over eight years old will begin on 4 January 2000.