Car inspection

[Guest joli86]

Yoz experts,

just wanna know anyone of u know car inspection that are lenient?

I went to VICOM at sin ming and got failed bcoz of my tinted film but funny thing is he passed my front window but not my 2 door windows...

[g8crasher]

31st March 2010

6 vehicle inspectors under probe for bribery

Source: Straits Times

IN WHAT is believed to be the first case of its kind in Singapore, anti-graft officers have

hauled up vehicle inspectors suspected of accepting bribes in return for turning a blind

eye to illegally modified cars.

The Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) visited STA Inspection's Sin Ming Road

branch on March 9 and questioned half a dozen of its employees.

STA Inspection - part of the ST Engineering group - is one of three vehicle inspection

companies running 10 inspection centres.

The others are Vicom and JIC Inspection Services, which are not affected by the probe.

Vehicle inspection has been mandatory in Singapore since 1981. Cars that are between

three and 10 years old have to be inspected every two years to ensure their roadworthiness.

Cars older than 10 years have to go for an-nual inspections.

The STA inspectors are believed to have accepted bribes from workshops specialising in

car modifications.

These workshops, which often send customers' cars for inspection on their behalf for a fee,

are believed to have bribed certain inspectors to ensure they would pass the modified vehicles.

STA Inspection's general manager, Mr Teo Kee Jin, told The Straits Times that six employees

at its Sin Ming branch were questioned by the CPIB.

He said STA set up its own board of inquiry following the CPIB's visit.

'During the course of our own investigation, a decision was made to dismiss four of

the employees, who admitted they had breached company policy. The two others

have been suspended,' he said.

Observers expect some, if not all, to wind up in court. The CPIB has refused to comment.

The crackdown has sent ripples across the car workshop trade - especially those involved in

modifications. Several workshops contacted refused to comment.

'Everybody is lying low right now,' said Mr Tony Tan, deputy editor of motoring magazine Torque.

'They're worried that they might be hauled up too.

'Even the car owners are worried.'

Mr Tan, however, felt that though the Land Transport Authority (LTA) has relaxed the rules

on modifications in recent years, the regulations are still out of step with the times.

'Many of the modified cars are safer than normal street cars,' he said.

Mr Joey Lim, president of the Singapore Motor Workshop Association, concurred.

'The LTA is being too cautious,' he said.

Among the rules the authority has relaxed in the last five years is one governing exhaust systems.

Previously, there was a blanket ban on after-market exhaust systems. Now, those with

proper certification are allowed.

Last year, the authority took action against 2,510 motorists for making illegal modifications

to their cars - 44 per cent more than in 2008, and possibly the highest in 10 years.

Most cases are related to exhaust systems, tinted windows and lamps.

In the wake of the CPIB probe, vehicle inspection firms are tightening processes.

Mr Teo of STA Inspection said the company has enhanced what is 'basically a robust system'.

'We have implemented a number of changes, including randomly rotating inspectors

across test lanes within the same centre, as well as rotating them across our three different centres.

'This increases the 'randomness' of customer-inspector contact,' he said.

Vicom spokesman Tammy Tan said: 'We are currently fine-tuning our processes to

make sure abuses...do not occur within our organisation.'

The inspection business is estimated to generate a combined profit of $40 million a year for the three players.

[Guest joli86]

thanks for the infor... anyway, i believe some forum-er had their car tinted... can share please

[Guest Luci Ride]

joli86 wrote:

thanks for the infor... anyway, i believe some forum-er had their car tinted... can share please

Ayer Rajah/ Tuas also No No, rest not so sure. Had same problem like yours once also & had to strip my tint off :Cry:

[Guest joli86]

ttz sad... some inspection centres dun use those meters to test yet some does... sooo sickening... cant they just understand Sg is HOT!

and with n without the tinting film makes a big diff when driving in the afternoon... IS VERY HOT!

letting 70% is equal to dun put liao le la...