The AA's calling for the government to tackle peak periods of NCT demand.

The call's come a day after the Transport Minister announced a round of special measures to tackle a surge in numbers following changes to the penalty points system.

Instead of a court summons and penalty points, drivers who don't have a valid NCT face now a fixed charge penalty notice and a fine.

But Conor Faughnan of the AA says something should be done to cut down on the annual surge in applications at the beginning of each year:

Meanwhile, two of the country’s busiest NCT test centres are opening on a 24-hour basis in a bid to tackle waiting lists of up to six-months.

‘Around-the-clock testing” will begin today at the Little Island NCT centre in Co Cork and Northpoint.

Chief executive of the RSA Moya Murdock spoke to Lunchtime with Jonathan Healy today about the advantages of keeping the test centres open: