Be vigilant of unaccredited testing centres
All South African drivers are or should be aware that their vehicles need to be certified roadworthy by an accredited testing centre.
However, just as is the case with fraudulently-obtained driver’s licenses, a worrying trend has crept in whereby unscrupulous testing centres are certifying vehicles that are completely unfit for the road, raking in huge amounts of cash in the process.
Last year AST Consulting, hired by Gauteng traffic authorities to probe fraud in certifications, discovered that more than 200 000 dangerous vehicles had been deemed roadworthy.
In addition, one testing station had accrued some R2.6-million from the scam.
The probe also uncovered 40 000 damaged vehicles had been passed as roadworthy in KwaZulu-Natal.
What is of concern here is not just that these sinister operators are netting millions of rands; it is that these are the results of but one investigation, begging the question just how many vehicles on South African roads are being passed as roadworthy when they are clearly not.
In a country that already has one of the worst road death records in the world, it is almost inconceivable that traffic testing centres are not monitored more closely for flagrantly returning death traps to our roads.
It therefore becomes essential that both roadworthy testing centres and motorists adhere to some basic principles in terms of vehicle testing.
Garth Johnson, chief executive of Dekra Automotive, hits home on a number of key points in the report, “Anti-corruption measures within the South African vehicle testing environment”:
- License applications – do they have experience to run a station;
- Some business owners turn a blind eye to corruption;
- Insufficient technical equipment to limit fraud and corruption;
- Do not enter into agreements with suppliers;
- Continually educate examiners on consequences of corruption;
- Retested vehicles should be forced to be checked by the same station and not allowed to be tested elsewhere;
- Install camera systems; and
- Ensure the proprietor of the station has the financial means to operate effectively
Given the shocking numbers revealed by the investigation, it is clear that there are far too many South Africans taking the “easy way out” in respect of having their vehicles roadworthy by shady unaccredited testers.
Unfortunately, that easy way out is having catastrophic consequences on the fatality rate, as estimates suggest that 9% of accidents can be attributed to unroadworthy vehicles.
But by being vigilant about testing centres, not only your own safety but that of others has a greater chance of being secured.