Guernsey Press

Amendment seeks to force another look at vehicle safety tests

ENVIRONMENT will have to look again at the pros and cons of having vehicle roadworthiness tests if States members agree.

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Dave Inglis has submitted an amendment to the department's transport strategy and a minority report, which if passed, would see Environment having to consider again safety tests, and certificates for cars older than a specified age.

In its strategy, the department said a Guernsey equivalent of the UK MOT scheme required government to prescribe in detail the nature of the test, the qualifications/competence of the testers, the equipment and protocols to be used, the charges to be applied and the appeal/challenge provisions.

It added that the cost and complexity of introducing such a scheme was considered to outweigh the benefits of introducing MOTs in a small island community.

'We owe a duty of care to all road users and the fact that we do not have a form of certification to prove roadworthiness, I feel, is a bit poor,' said Deputy Inglis.

A safety test is one of the suggestions made by the Guernsey Motor Trades Association, which has come up with its own strategy for deputies to look at.

MOTs were discussed by the States in the 2006 road transport strategy debate.

Deputy Inglis's amendments have been seconded by Deputy Chris Green and are among seven to be submitted in response to the transport strategy and the minority report.

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