Regular inspections required for public vehicles — Ab Aziz

REGISTERED public vehicles should undergo regular inspections as prescribed to meet safety standards, and not merely checked during festive seasons, said Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Ab Aziz Kaprawi.

He said the directive and requirements were contained in Section 12 of the Road Transport Act 1987, which made it mandatory for all public vehicles to undergo early and periodic inspections at the Computerised Vehicle Inspection Centre ( Puspakom).

“The periodic inspection, and standard of inspection are once a year for the first two years for new vehicles, and thereafter, once every six months,” he said at the Dewan Negara sitting yesterday.

He was responding to a question from Senator Tan Sri Dr Ibrahim Abu Shah who wanted to know whether the inspection of public vehicles by the authorities only focused on festive seasons, as it was feared, that public vehicle owners would only conduct vehicle maintenance during the period.

Ab Aziz said that at each periodic inspection, the vehicle would undergo various checks such as vehicle identity verification ( engine number), window tint rate, emission test, side slip test and suspension test, brake test, ‘speedometer' test for metered taxis and undercarriage inspection.

Replying to a supplementary question from Senator Datuk Hanafi Mat on complaints of small-vehicle operators regarding the high cost of vehicle inspections at Puspakom, Ab Aziz said the cost of the inspection was still low.

He said the charges for inspections at Puspakom had not changed since 2007, which is RM55 for taxis and RM90 for lorries. — Bernama