KUALA LUMPUR: The Transport Ministry has prepared licensing guidelines for periodic inspections of commercial and private vehicles following the end of Puspakom's monopoly on the service.

Minister Anthony Loke said that the guidelines were formulated in response to the Cabinet's decision to introduce competition in vehicle inspection services on March 17 last year.

He said the guidelines are aimed at ensuring the integrity, orderly conduct, and quality of inspections to guarantee vehicle and road safety.

"Qualified and competent parties will be granted the authority and license to conduct vehicle inspections under the Road Transport Act 1987.

"Oversight of the services provided will be stipulated through license conditions. License holders will also be subjected to fees for each issued license," he said in a statement today.

Loke said the comprehensive guidelines will be accessible online on the ministry's and RTD's websites starting Apr 15.

He said that after careful assessment, the ministry and Road Transport Department (RTD) will grant interim approval to qualified parties, allowing up to 24 months for preparation and development.

"Any party failing to complete all preparation processes during this period will have their interim approval revoked and will not be granted a license.

"Parties successfully completing all development processes and approved to commence operations by the RTD will be granted a license to conduct motor vehicle inspections for a maximum period of 10 years, with the possibility of extension as determined later," he added.

Loke stressed that all license holders must provide services as stipulated under the license conditions and comply with other directives issued throughout the effective license period.

"Parties found to be in violation of these conditions will face penalties and may have their licenses suspended or revoked for license breaches," he added.

On March 24 last year, Loke announced that Puspakom would no longer be the exclusive provider of scheduled vehicle inspections for the Road Transport Department from Sept 1 this year.

Loke said that the cabinet decided on March 17 that year, that the periodic inspection of vehicles, mandated under the Road Transport Act 1987, would be opened to qualified service providers meeting specified conditions.

Puspakom was appointed by the government in 1994 as the country's first and only comprehensive national vehicle inspection company for mandatory inspections of commercial and private vehicles.

https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2024/03/1030687/transport-ministry-announces-licensing-guidelines-commercial-and-private