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Date Published: 01/02/2024

Chaos at Costa Blanca ITV centres as drivers queue up for hours

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Motorists in Benidorm, Alicante and Elche can’t get a roadworthiness test appointment until April

Chaos at Costa Blanca ITV centres as drivers queue up for hours

Getting your car past the ITV test has become an impossible mission in much of the Costa Blanca, with no appointments available until at least April and waits of up to three hours being reported in towns like Benidorm, Alicante and Elche.

These testing centres, which are very similar to the MOT centres in the UK, are so overwhelmed with customers that dozens of motorists have started waiting outside the gates before dawn in the hopes of being slipped in before the crowds.

They are fed up with trying to book an appointment online: all of the slots on the website of Sitval, the public company that has managed Alicante’s ITV services since last year, are booked up until the end of March.

This leaves drivers in a very vulnerable position, as the traffic police don’t tolerate expired roadworthiness tests whatever the reason, and are quick to hand out hefty fines.

"I came to try to get them to serve me so early because I'm going on a trip next week and I haven't been able to make an appointment," said one individual who was queuing up with his car in Elche at 7.40am.

Behind him, the owner of a van had been waiting before dawn with the same purpose. "I've been trying to get an appointment online and calling for days, but it's been impossible, and I need my vehicle to work," he said.

But what has caused such a severe collapse in the system? Well, according to the Workers' Commissions, the biggest problem is that not all stations are equipped with the necessary personnel and that hiring workers in public companies is much more complex than in private companies. Added to this, the same union sources indicate, is that when Sitval took the reins, it found itself with more temporary, seasonal staff than permanent ones, many of whom have since quit.

The ITV mechanics themselves agree that the situation has worsened since the test centres were taken out of private hands, but a solution could be just around the corner. According to the regional government, which said it is well aware of the ongoing problems, a contract to implement new computer software to streamline the appointment system should be finalised sometime in February.

In the meantime, the Department of Industry plans to double the number of telephone operators in the call centre so that drivers will be able to book a test over the phone.

Find all the latest motoring and travel news here or join our Driving in Spain Facebook group for regular updates

Image: Sitval

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