A trial of mobile pink slips inspections could have issues for motorcycle riders, including being incorrectly fined for excessive exhaust noise or having their headlights set at the wrong angle, the motor industry claims.
NSW Minister for Roads, Maritime and Freight Melinda Pavey claims the six-month trial in the Illawarra, Sydney, Central Coast, and Hunter areas would ensure inspections can be delivered safely.
However, the Motor Traders’ Association of NSW has expressed concerns that the mobile vans would not carry enough equipment to perform accurate inspections.
Pink slips
Motorcycles older than five years require a safety inspection (previously called a pink slip) to renew registration.
Under the mobile pink slip inspections trial an authorised examiner will visit the vehicle owner’s location to complete the safety inspection.
The customer will contact a participating provider, agree to a call-out fee, identify a safe and suitable area for the inspection and a suitable time for the inspection.
Mobile inspections would make it easier for riders as they are done at their location.
Trial concerns
However, CEO Stavros Yallouridis says they are concerned about the quality of the inspections and the risk to public safety of the mobile pink slips trial.
Spokesman Anthony Barac-Dunn says the mobile inspections could have specific problems in relation to motorcycles.
“The level of testing should not differ from fixed workshops as they have to follow the test procedure outlined by RMS,” he says.
“This is a difficult task for the amount of equipment that realistically a mobile van could carry versus a fixed workshop.”
He gave two example for the testing of motorbikes:
- Headlight aim tester – the equipment required is cumbersome and if the testing is not done correctly, this can present a safety issue in regards to the headlight being too low to be effective or too high and interfering with an oncoming driver’s line of sight when driving at night.
- Decibel reading meter – the concern that this equipment will not be available within the mobile van, and this could present the inability to conduct an accurate test of the noise of the motorbike exhaust which can lead to a fine being applied to the owner. The test procedure for motorbikes for the testing of their exhausts should be no different than provided at fixed workshops.
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