FleetWatch Online - 23-cofs to six months

Members of the National Vehicle Testing Association are going all out to raise standards as the ‘look’ of this private vehicle testing station attests to. The voice of the NVTA should be heard and taken seriously..

Unroadworthy vehicles abound in SA and while the finger of blame for this has mainly been pointed at the Private Vehicle Testing Stations for allowing unroadworthy vehicles to pass through their hands, the National Vehicle Testing Association has another view writes Patrick O'Leary.

While it is true that there are those testing stations which are low-life enough to take bribes and issue unroadworthy vehicles with roadworthy certificates, there are others who are fighting for the upliftment of standards. Most of these belong to the National Vehicle Testing Association which strives to raise standards on many fronts often, it seems, against huge odds.

According to Wally Cracknell, chairman of the NVTA, one of the major concerns - and contributors to the problem - lies in the change in the validity of roadworthy certificates from 21 days to six months; and the change in the six monthly Certificate of Fitness testing of vehicles over 3 500kg GVM to a 12 month annual test.

According to him, this has led to a serious decline in preventative maintenance and a resultant increase in unroadworthy vehicles. Let him have his say in his own words:

Déjà Vu
"The Oxford Dictionary defines déjà vu as something tediously familiar. Whilst perusing the FleetWatch June edition, particularly Max Braun's meticulous presentation at the recent Road Transport Legislation Workshop, I cannot but believe that it is all tediously familiar. When will the rot stop and periodic vehicle testing begin in earnest?

Private Vehicle Testing Stations (PVTS) have lobbied as early as Mr Mac Maharaj's well intended tenure as Minister of Transport for almost all of Max Braun's recommendations. Our horror was strongly voiced when the bureaucrats legislated that roadworthy certification would be valid for six months (not 21 days) and that the six monthly Certificate of Fitness (COF) for all vehicles with a GVM in excess of 3 500kg be extended to a 12 month annual test.

We warned then that fleet maintenance service would degenerate and that the incidence of road traffic collisions, as a result, would accelerate. Lack of preventative maintenance is the root cause of the serious state of unroadworthy vehicles on our roads, not, as many myopic officials believe, as a result of the introduction of private vehicle testing stations!

All PVTS have been urged to join the most credible RMI/NVTA alliance in order that our industry can become self regulated and will be able to monitor and react to sub-standard vehicle testing more quickly and efficiently than the present somewhat inept system. (Eight years is a long time to bring a known miscreant to book. GAP testing station is a prime example.) It has become quite clear that those testing stations that are not members of an accredited association are always under suspicion and will always be perceived as the source for 'hot' roadworthy tests.

The PVTS industry has come of age and periodic vehicle testing will be appropriate to demonstrate its maturity. It would be the key to the transformation of our profile in the eyes of the consumer. Most importantly, our industry will be seen to be making a major contribution to the prevention of road accidents and reducing the horrific carnage statistics. Stop the rot ... start the testing!"

Backing Cracknell's opinion is Cecil van den Bergh, owner of a vehicle testing station in Stanger, Kwa-Zulu Natal. Here's what he has to say:

"I would like to comment on the current situation regarding the testing of heavy commercial vehicles as well as vehicles used to convey passengers for reward (mini- buses and bakkies).

Some years ago I was employed by a very large bus company in Bophuthatswana (north of Pretoria) and at that time, legislation required that ALL vehicles for hire and reward and all commercial vehicles having a GVM over 3 500 kgs be tested for road worthiness every six months. This system ensured that the vehicles were constantly in a safe operating condition.

Considering the mileage covered and conditions in which many of these vehicles travelled, the vehicles would have gradually become unsafe for road use if they were not tested periodically. All operators will agree that the "enforced" regular "TLC" of vehicles helped ensure that the vehicles were kept up to standard. They will also tell you that since the compulsory six month testing has been done away with, the condition of many of these vehicles has drastically deteriorated.

We see vehicles that come through our test station that travel over 100 000 km's a year and because they are not required to be tested periodically, have become "death traps". This is where the problem starts: Because they are in such a state of disrepair, it will now cost operators a great deal of money to repair a vehicle to pass a roadworthy test. It is financially easier for some of operators to take the vehicle to someone who will 'help' them through a test with the result that the vehicle is obviously not roadworthy as it sets off on it's next 100 000 km's.

We have seen heavy goods vehicles where only one axle out of three has brakes. We have seen mini buses with the good old "blou draad" holding critical components together. In addition, because of the "system", many private vehicles that are seriously not road worthy escape through the cracks. We see a serious constant deterioration of the condition of a great many of our vehicle population because there is not enforced periodical testing.

Yes, there are those unscrupulous characters that would take advantage of periodical testing, but as an association (Vehicle Test Station Association) we believe that if we are allowed to, we can help solve that problem. I thank you for the opportunity to share my opinion with you."

Both men raise good points which FleetWatch feels should be aired given the fact that there are so many unroadworthy vehicles out there. To be quite honest, we didn't realise the situation around the unroadworthiness of trucks was so bad until we and our BrakeWatch partners - Wabco, ACSA-Mag and Arrive Alive - conducted our BrakeWatch project which we reported on in our February edition. For those who didn't see it, visit our website on www.fleetwatch.co.za, click on 'Past Issues' and then on the February edition. It's all there.

In essence, of the 24 trucks taken off the road for testing on one day, 21 were served with Discontinuation of Service notices by the police working with us on the day. The vehicles pulled off at random were in a shocking state of unroadworthiness and yet each and every one of them displayed a valid CoF. Someone in some private test station was making 'quick bucks' because there is no way those vehicles would have got their CoFs if they had been through an 'ethical' and honest Private Vehicle Testing Station.

In those cases then, the backhand bribe was obviously the route taken to the CoF. However, given the points made by Cracknell and Van Den Bergh, one can't but help wonder how many vehicles out there have received a valid and genuine CoF but, because of a lack of maintenance, are running out their CoF time in a total state of unroadworthiness.

Cracknell's views - and those of the NVTA - were, FleetWatch is told, ignored by the powers that be when the extensions to the validity of roadworthy certificates and the CoF testing were under discussion. I recall Cracknell telling me at the time that they were treated with arrogance and almost disdain. However, at that time, South Africa was big on plans and short on stats. The situation as it stands now says that perhaps a reversal of what was implemented should take effect. Consider this:

Statistics that recently came into our hands from the Road Traffic Management Corporation's Road Traffic Report April 2006 show that the total number of vehicles that were either unroadworthy, unlicenced or both increased by 76 852 (14,43%) from 532 539 vehicles at the end of April 2005 to 609 391 vehicles at the end of April 2006. In 2005, these vehicles represented 6,96% of the total vehicle population and in 2006, it was 7,45% of the total vehicle population. So it is on the rise.

The report states that this information is as contained in the National Traffic Information System (NaTIS) and does not provide information on possible additional fraudulently obtained roadworthy certificates. How many of these there are out there, one can only guess.

The report also qualified unroadworthy vehicles as those of which the owners failed to submit the vehicles for compulsory annual roadworthy tests (including buses, minibus taxis and freight transport vehicles) or on change of ownership. Unlicenced vehicles are those of which the owners failed to renew the vehicle licences within the time frame allowed.

While the global figure above includes all vehicle types - including motorcycles - we point you to the fact that the number of unroadworthy trucks increased by 2 342 from 26 090 in April 2005 to 28 432 in April this year. And as the RTMC report states, that does not count additional fraudulently obtained roadworthy certificates. There are plenty of those around for sure.

Note too that the number of unroadworthy heavy trailers increased from 9 725 in April 2005 to 11 182 in April 2006 - and again, this does not count additional fraudulently obtained roadworthy certificates. Have a close look at the table produced alongside. It details the number of unroadworthy vehicles for all vehicles types. Scary isn't it.

What all this tells us is that if the NVTA's views were not taken seriously before, they should be taken so now. There are many thousands of unroadworthy vehicles operating on our roads and if part of the contribution towards this is a 'systems flaw', then let that flaw be ironed out.

The bottom line is that it is the NVTA's view that the Certificate of Fitness testing of vehicles over 3 500kg GVM should be more frequent that once every 12 months. FleetWatch supports this view. What is your opinion?

Rigs like this used to be tested for roadworthiness every six months. Now, it’s every 12 months. The NVTA’s view – which FleetWatch shares – is that 12 months is not frequent enough to ensure constant CoF compliance.