The country is rebuilding its 20-year-old vehicle inspection system from the ground up as part of a transformation worth around £2.25 billion.
Preparations are ongoing to give its vehicle inspection system a major high-tech makeover, with artificial intelligence, automation and contactless technology set to play a central role. The overhaul will use cameras, lasers, sensors and automation in a bid to transform the way millions of cars are tested.
From 15 August 2027, TURKA Vehicle Inspection will operate the system for the next 20 years, with plans to modernize everything from testing equipment and data management to automation and the experience for vehicle owners.
The technology is already being rigorously tested. The first testing ground is a 2,500-square-metre Vehicle Inspection Pilot Centre in Istanbul, where new equipment is being explored on physical vehicles.
The five-lane centre is trialling a range of futuristic-sounding technology, including AI-assisted imaging, lasers, sensors, contactless tyre measurements, undercarriage and bodywork scanning and robotic equipment.
The plan is to make vehicle inspections more automated, comprehensive and consistent, while also preparing the system for the increasingly sophisticated cars hitting the roads.
TURKA Board Chairman Halis Ezer said: “Preparing national vehicle inspection systems for the future isn’t possible simply by adding new devices to the existing structure.
“Technology, data management, operational standards, staff training and the vehicle owner’s experience all need to be designed together.
“We believe this transformation, which we are implementing at full scale in Türkiye, will provide an important example for the United Kingdom and other countries working on the future of vehicle inspection systems.”
The project could be particularly interesting for British motorists as the United Kingdom continues to ponder what the future of the MOT system should look like.
Turkey’s plans offer a large-scale example of how a national vehicle inspection network could be redesigned around digital technology, automation and connected vehicles.
The DVSA’s (Driver And Vehicles Standards Agency) 2025–2026 business plan includes research into an MOT system focused on connected vehicles, as well as plans to explore what new technology could bring to vehicle testing.
On 3 August 2026, the DVSA launched a voluntary app trial at around 2,500 MOT garages across the UK.
Source: https://www.nationalworld.com/