Transport Commissioner Wayne Richards yesterday threatened to “shut down” inspection stations if they are found guilty of demanding an additional $300 inspection fee on vehicle owners when they go to collect their inspection stickers.
Richards made the threat following yesterday’s Fifth Annual Road Safety Awards Ceremony at the head office of the Ministry of Works and Transport in Port-of-Spain.
The issue of the extortion was raised by Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan during his featured address at the awards, but did not go into details, stating that he had received complaints about “inspections and stickers” which he was not pleased about by the inspection stations.
Sinanan called on Richards, in the presence of acting Police Commissioner Stephen Williams, to deal with the matter.
“If vehicles are given certificates and stickers without being properly inspected that is putting people’s lives at stake on the roads,” Sinanan said.
Richards said he received a complaint from someone who had their vehicle inspected not too long ago at a station for which they paid $300, but did not collect an inspection sticker due to a scarcity.
With stickers now available at the 82 stations across T&T, Richards said, “People are going back to collect their stickers and the people (owners of the station) are saying, no, you have to pay again to get a new inspection. That vehicle should not be inspected again.”
Richard said if a vehicle was inspected last year “it is for two years. All you need to do is collect your sticker. I am telling people if they do not get their stickers to contact Licensing Division. We will deal with.”
Richards said if any station is found guilty of making such demands, they can be shut down forthwith.
The testing stations purchase inspection stickers from the Licensing Division.
Drivers can be fined $5,000 for not having an inspection sticker.
A private vehicle over five years has to be inspected every two years.
Hired, heavy-T and rental vehicles require annual inspections.
Richards could not say how many stations had been asking members of the public to have their vehicles re-inspected.
“I am not saying it is something wide ranging per say.”
Questioned if he would launch an investigation into the matter, Richards said he advised the person who made the complaint to return to the station and if they did not get a redress he will take up the matter.
Asked if the station was extorting money from the public or conducting fraudulent activities, Richards said he could not say, since there is always two sides to a story.
“Once we get information on both sides we will be able to measure it.”
Richards assured that if a vehicle owner had his vehicle inspected they cannot be charged.
“While it is in the law that you must have your sticker with your certificate, the sticker is about visibility so enforcement officers will not pull a driver off the road to check to see if their vehicles was inspected,” he said.
