LICENSED AND REGULATED vehicle garages can play a role in the annual inspection of private and public vehicles, says Minister of Transport and Works John Boyce.
Boyce, who was speaking at the McEnearney Quality Inc. (MQI) rollout of two new models – the Kia Soul and the Audi A3, last Sunday, also lauded McEnearney for recognising the importance of reaching out to owners and prospective buyers.
While acknowledging that it was his ministry’s responsibility to regulate vehicles on the road, Boyce said: “I would certainly like to lead in the very near future a programme which allows workshops and facilities like MQI to go further towards to participating in . . . the inspection of vehicles under the standards which are set by the Licensing Authority.”
He said owners of private and public vehicles would have an option to go to the Pine for their annual inspection as required after five years, or the annual inspection as required by public sector vehicles – both the Transport Board and other commercial vehicles – that was required by law.
Boyce said garages would have to be licensed and regulated to issue certificates even if after that exercise, “one has to return to the Pine or Licensing Authority to make the payments”.
The minister also said the ministry had revisited amendments to the Road Traffic Act.
“If you recall in 2006/2007, this amendment would have gone to Parliament and would have been sent to a Select Committee and went back to the Ministry of Transport and Works for complete revision.”
He said the bill was now about to be taken to Parliament again after stakeholders’ and internal meetings.
“Once the final details have been put together, I anticipate that in the next six months this exercise should be completed.”
The minister said the amendments should make it easier for police to carry out their work more effectively with the demerit system and accountability of drivers and owners of the PSVs.
“As has been enunciated by [the ruling Democratic Labour Party), we must share the responsibility for the behaviour of the private sector vehicles not only with the drivers but the owners. We believe that we are in a position to present a legal framework which allows this exercise to take place,” Boyce said.
