Tougher Vehicle
Inspection Rules in
January 2009
The Consejo de
Transporte Público (CTP)
said yesterday that it
plans to approve tougher
rules for the vehicular
inspection run by Riteve
in items like brakes,
seatbelts, windshield
wipers and fuel tanks.
The CTP said will
eliminate from its
current manual 33
mechanical problems,
elevate 15 from "leve"
(light) to "grave"
(serious) and add 44 new
points, of which 34 will
be grave.
A failure of a"leve"
means the vehicle passes
inspection, however, a
one or more "graves"
mean a fail.
One of the points that
will be changed by the
CTP is failing a vehicle
with a polarized back
window. Currently
polarized windows, both
side and back are
classed "leve". The CTP
says that side windows
will continue to be leve
but back windows will be
grave.
Front windshields will
also be a point of
change as anything that
diminishes visibility
from 100% will bot be
tolerated.
The CTP, facing criticsm
of the planned changes
has decided to put off
the introduction of the
new manual that was
planned for September,
introduce the changes
for January 1, 2009,
after holding public
hearings and allowing
more time for vehicle
owners to make the
necessary modifications
to their vehicles.
Martín said that the
objective is to reduce
traffic accidents due to
mechanical failure and
to allow for changes in
modern vehicles, like
those vehicles who use
one windshield wiper
rather than two wipers
to clean the entire
windshield.
The current manual was
published in 2004.
Fernando Mayorga,
general manager of
Riteve, said that his
company will abide by
and train its inspectors
on the new rules.
Mayorga added that the
CTP must also consider
to let vehicles owners
know the new rules
before they are inacted
otherwise a thousand
vehicles will be
rejected on the first
day alone. |
