If a car or vehicle is not properly maintained, the driver is more likely to lose control of the car. The car may get involved in accidents, damaging property and causing injuries. Hence in Singapore the Land Transport Authority (LTA) has made it mandatory for vehicle owners to get their vehicle inspected periodically. To ensure that the inspection criteria matches that of the LTA, the car owner should get his car inspected at a LTA authorized inspection centre (AIC). The LTA will send a message to the car owner three months before the inspection of the car is due.
Inspection frequency
The inspection frequency of a vehicle by the LTA depends on the age, type of the vehicle and how it is being used. No inspection is required for new cars which are less than three years old since they will still be in good condition. For cars which are more than three years old and less than ten years old, the car should be inspected once every two years. If the car is more than ten years old, it should be inspected every year. If the car is being used as a taxi, it will be used for more hours daily compared to a personal car. Hence, the taxi should be inspected every six months.
Inspection centre
Additionally, car owners who are using their car to travel long distances on road trips often would like to get their car inspected as a preventive measure. So like car owners with older cars, these car owners would like to find a suitable LTA inspection centre for regular car inspection in Singapore. Many of these inspection centres will charge more for the first car inspection, and for the subsequent car inspections the inspection charges will be less. Hence, car owners should spend some time finding a reliable inspection centre, which they can use for all their car inspections.
Selection
There are a large number of vehicle inspection centres in Singapore. Some of these are businesses, while others are run by associations, especially car owners associations. The commercial inspection centres are sometimes offering better prices for customers who are bringing their vehicle to the centre for re-inspection. The non-profit associations will offer better prices, especially for members. Another consideration while choosing the inspection centre is the location, most car owners prefer a centre close to the place where they work or stay, they do not want to travel long distances only for inspection.
Procedure
Usually the car owner who wishes to get his car inspected will first have to contact the inspection centre where he wishes to get the vehicle inspected on phone or using other methods. He will hand over the car to the vehicle inspector, who will inspect the vehicle and test the braking system, steering system, suspension system, lighting and other parts. It is observed that more than 95% of the vehicles are passing the inspection. In case the vehicle does not pass the inspection, it will have to be reinspected after fixing the defective component or system.
