The Road Safety Authority (RSA) has told the Irish Farmers Journal that it is “unlikely” that it will be recommending mandatory testing for farm tractors. This follows news last autumn where it is understood the RSA was considering the introduction of NCT-style testing for all agricultural tractors.

“At present, it is unlikely that the RSA will be recommending mandatory periodic test inspections (PTI) for agricultural vehicles. It is likely that we will be recommending the use of our existing voluntary PTI service for fast tractors which is available via our CVRT test network.”

It was feared that this would have potentially been a follow-on from the EU legislation introduced in 2018 that requires fast tractors used in commercial activities to undergo a roadworthiness test, similar to an NCT for cars. However, Ireland is still within the status quo for the EU Directive 2014/45 on periodic roadworthiness testing for motor vehicles.