CAR TESTING. THE FACTS SO FAR.
The Swiss company S.G.S. has been awarded the contract to test cars for a 10 year period by the Department Of the Environment. S.G.S is a company that specialises in inspection, testing and certification services and has 40,000 employees across the world.The National Car Test (N.C.T.) cost has been set at £35.00 with failed vehicles paying a retest fee of £19.80, (though a retest can be free if a fully equipped test lane is not required ).There will be 43 test sites, (40 fixed, and 3 mobile) spread across the country, and will be dedicated test centres only. This means, that they will not be permitted to repair vehicles or to promote any local repair facilities. What will concern the factors and garages ,most of all will be the ( Pretest. ) It is sufficient to say that the test centres will be distributed nationwide, by population spread,with nobody further than 30 miles from one. Eventually all passenger vehicles over four years old, including those with up to nine seats will be required to pass the N.C.T.
ONLY 6 MONTHS TO GO.
The N.C.T will be phased in over the first two years, following its introduction on January 4th, 2000. Testing will start with pre'92 cars being checked in 2000. Models between '92 and '96 will be tested in 2001, with cars over four years old requiring a test every two years from 2002 onwards. Up to 40,000 vehicles will have to be tested annually, and based on statistics from other countries in a similar situation, some 30 % will fail in the first 12 months of the scheme.
CAR TESTING MANUEL.
The items to be tested, as specified by the EU, will be categorised in the Car Testers Manuel, which will also list the pass or failure criteria for specific components, and will be widely available to the industry in mid '99. The headings will include: steering,suspension, brakes, tyres, wheels,transmission, bodywork, chassis and chassis components, exhaust systems,carbon monoxide and smoke emissions, lighting, signalling and vehicle identifications. Testing will take about 30 minutes and will include a report on any failures.
PARTS CONSUMPTION.
Giving the current relaxed attitude to car maintainance plus the low level of legal compliance and enforcement, it is fair to say that motorists have a certain amount of catching up to do with their cars to pass the test. Based on European experience, the following can be expected during the first year of testing.
Shock Failures........... 95,000 .Lighting/Signalling...........87,000 .Brake Failures...........68,000.Exhaust Failures...........57,000.Tyre/Wheel Failures...........38,000
During 1999, as part of a comprehensive public information campaign, S.G.S. and the Department of the Environment will detail a scheduling system that will allow the 400,000 car tests to be evenly spread throughout the year.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION. CONTACT :
ATHLONE MOTOR FACTORS LTD.
LOUGHANASKIN ESTATE, ATHLONE.
TEL NO.0902/74307. EMAIL :amf@tinet.ie