The AA is calling for the government to tackle peak periods of NCT demand.
The call comes 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 now face 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:
