Two-yearly roadworthy tests?

[Nod]

From News24 (http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/News/0,,2-7-1442_2262386,00.html):

The government is looking at possibly introducing road worthiness tests for private vehicles every two years, a senior traffic official said at the launch of a national road safety campaign in Durban on Thursday.

Thabo Tsholetsane, the acting executive manager of the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC), was speaking at the launch of Operation Juggernaut - a campaign focused on eliminating unroadworthy vehicles from the country's roads.

He said government was "doing a study" to see how often roadworthiness tests could be done.

I assume this will exclude taxis.

Operation Juggernaut would also ensure that traffic authorities nationally would be able to stop and check 200 000 public transport and freight carrying vehicles, Radebe said.
So they will be able to do what they are supposed to be doing now.

[bwana]

Two years is a good length of time.

[Moederloos]

A good idea on paper.
However, as with everything else - it will be chaos.
The department can barely manage to book learner's licenses and now they want to do this?

I just wish the guavamint will get one thing to work before moving on to the next - is that really too much to ask?

[bwana]

The testing could be handled by private garages much like it is in the US and UK. If a garage is caught issuing bogus inspection certificates then they lose their certification and get a heavy fine.

[Alchemist]

Very good I idea id you ask me.

IIRC, in the UK, if a vehicle is past a certain age, it is compulsory for you to to have it roadworthied every year

[moklet]

A good idea on paper.
However, as with everything else - it will be chaos.
The department can barely manage to book learner's licenses and now they want to do this?

I just wish the guavamint will get one thing to work before moving on to the next - is that really too much to ask?

Another opportunity for bribes :p

[TiredOfWaiting]

Just incorporate this into the regular service. I'm sure most/all people have their cars serviced at least once in 2 years. If that service centre just submits the paperwork to the authorities afterwards, this won't inconvenience anyone.

[CathJ]

I think 2 years is too frequent - at least for newer cars. It might make sense for cars over a certain age. But I also think it's a big money-making opportunity, like driver's licence renewals.

The problem is, how many of the unroadworthy vehicles are also unlicensed? In which case they won't be undergoing a roadworthy every two years anyway. Public transport vehicles (including taxi's, if I undertand correctly) are supposed to be roadworthied every year, and how many unroadworthy taxi's and even buses do you see on the road?

And I doubt it could be incorporated into your regular service - if you're having your vehicle serviced, it's probably roadworthy. It's the ones that aren't being serviced that are more likely to be a problem and need to be checked.

[TiredOfWaiting]

And I doubt it could be incorporated into your regular service - if you're having your vehicle serviced, it's probably roadworthy. It's the ones that aren't being serviced that are more likely to be a problem and need to be checked.

Then it will reflect that on the system. Those people will have to actually go just to have it checked somewhere.

[ToxicBunny]

What about people like me who service their own cars?

I don't see the need to pay someone to do something I can do myself?

[TiredOfWaiting]

You can't service the newer cars yourself anymore. They need to be hooked up to the computer to reset the service interval. On top of that they also use weird screws/splines/whatever, which you can't buy the tools to loosen/fasten anyway.

And as I said, the people who don't service their cars or do it themselves will then just have to go in for a check-up every 2 years.

[ToxicBunny]

Trust me, you can service the newer cars yourself. The tools aren't easy to get, but they're available.

But yeah, if it means I have to go in for a checkup every 2 years, then I will. But knowing how this country operates, I don't see that happening. They battle enough with the 5yr license renewal thing.

[TiredOfWaiting]

Trust me, you can service the newer cars yourself. The tools aren't easy to get, but they're available.

But yeah, if it means I have to go in for a checkup every 2 years, then I will. But knowing how this country operates, I don't see that happening. They battle enough with the 5yr license renewal thing.

And do you also have your own computer with the right software to reset the service interval then? What about the warranty?

You don't want to service the newer cars yourself, unless you got it for free or something... :eek:

[ToxicBunny]

The new cars are usually on maintenance plans so the garage will service it, the second the maintenance plan is over then I service it, as for the warranty, if I use genuine parts and such the manufacturer can jump off a cliff.

And I have access to the computers the I need to reset the service intervals and such.

[bwana]

I think 2 years is too frequent - at least for newer cars. In the UK new cars get a 3 year grace period then annually after that.

The problem is, how many of the unroadworthy vehicles are also unlicensed? In which case they won't be undergoing a roadworthy every two years anyway. Public transport vehicles (including taxi's, if I undertand correctly) are supposed to be roadworthied every year, and how many unroadworthy taxi's and even buses do you see on the road?Its simple really - all unlicensed vehicles should be impounded immediately. They should start now that part now. :)


And I doubt it could be incorporated into your regular service - if you're having your vehicle serviced, it's probably roadworthy. It's the ones that aren't being serviced that are more likely to be a problem and need to be checked.Vehicle services dont usually take tyres and cracked windscreens into account - not that they couldnt.
And as I said, the people who don't service their cars or do it themselves will then just have to go in for a check-up every 2 years.yep - authorise enough service centres and it will be relatively painless. Make garages understand they have more to gain by not accepting bribes and they wont.

[Skeptik]

All these new proposals are fine, but just who is going to implement them. If a heavily rusted taxi overloaded with twice the number of passengers travelling at 30 km/h over the limit can regularly drive on our freeways with an unlicensed driver wielding a cellphone in one hand and a R100 note in another, then how many unroadworthy 3-yr-old cars are going to be stopped??

[bwana]

All these new proposals are fine, but just who is going to implement them. If a heavily rusted taxi overloaded with twice the number of passengers travelling at 30 km/h over the limit can regularly drive on our freeways with an unlicensed driver wielding a cellphone in one hand and a R100 note in another, then how many unroadworthy 3-yr-old cars are going to be stopped??Impound unlicensed vehicles on the spot.

They could even go as far as to provide an incentive to the traffic officers for each one righteously impounded. It's should be easy enough to check if a vehicle is or isnt licensed (even if it's missing a disk).

[CALL_ME]

South Africa should incorporate a system like the United States

[bwana]

South Africa should incorporate a system like the United StatesWhich state in particular (they probably all differ to one degree or another)?

[Skeptik]

Impound unlicensed vehicles on the spot.

They could even go as far as to provide an incentive to the traffic officers for each one righteously impounded. It's should be easy enough to check if a vehicle is or isnt licensed (even if it's missing a disk). You aren't being practical. Where are all these impounded cars going to be taken and who will administer the system. It's going to take a few years to write the new laws for a start. It's a non-starter.

[TiredOfWaiting]

You aren't being practical. Where are all these impounded cars going to be taken and who will administer the system. It's going to take a few years to write the new laws for a start. It's a non-starter.

To an impound lot? :confused:

SA has something like that, right? :eek:

[bwana]

You aren't being practical. Where are all these impounded cars going to be taken and who will administer the system. Other countries can manage it so can SA. One possibility - the traffic officer calls an authorised private firm who collects and stores the vehicle until the vehicle is inspected (even on site).

It's going to take a few years to write the new laws for a start. It's a non-starter.Just because it take time to write laws it doesnt mean they shouldnt be written. ;)

[Nod]

You aren't being practical. Where are all these impounded cars going to be taken and who will administer the system. It's going to take a few years to write the new laws for a start. It's a non-starter.

Another job creation opportunity. The car is impounded, an assessor check to see whether the car is repairable to a roadworthy state, and if not, it gets compacted immediately. Cars that can be repaired, should be charged to the owner (finance available ;) )

Obviously this might cause some opportunities for fraud and other issues, but if the proper process is put in place, and people can be held responsible for every car that gets scrapped, it should be ok. Maybe even give the traffic cop that took the car of the road an incentive like a % for the scrap metal sold or cost of reparation.

Just a thought, I'm not an expert in this type of things :o

[Koos Custodiet]

The testing could be handled by private garages much like it is in the US and UK. If a garage is caught issuing bogus inspection certificates then they lose their certification and get a heavy fine.

Aaah, but you need the ability to identify, stop and remove-from-road the vehicles that don't comply.

Right now we have way too many vehicles without licences and / or number plates on the roads. I don't see how additional checks on the law-abiding will stop this.

I would rather see money spent on putting cops on the streets, where they can identify potentially unroadworthy vehicles and have them tested amd OK-ed or confiscated and crushed immediately.

But making more laws is a lot easier than actually working.

Edit :

Impound unlicensed vehicles on the spot.

Yea, that, what you said. We don't need roadworthy checks on the 95% of vehicles, we need cops identifying the other 5%.

[Moederloos]

I would rather just see the authorities enforcing the laws already in place.
Like number plates.
And speeding.
And stopping.
And so on.