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NEWS
Safety at stake, says VACC
Lobby group repudiates government plan to streamline roadworthy red tapeA proposal by the Victorian government to reduce red tape associated with sales of vehicles under three years old has run foul of the VACC.
As the body representing Victorian vehicle repairers and licensed motor car traders, the VACC (Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce), has come out swinging in response to a consultation paper from the state government. 'Streamlining Victoria’s Roadworthiness System' is a starting point for further assessment by VicRoads.
One tenet of the consultation paper is that of allowing owners to sell vehicles that are less than three or five years old without a roadworthy inspection and certificate. While other states around the nation (including New South Wales) demand annual roadworthiness testing, Victoria is distinct from the other states, demanding only that a vehicle need be inspected for roadworthiness as it is being transferred to another owner.
The proposed change would dilute the safety element of roadworthy testing even further and, according to David Purchase, Executive Director of the VACC, would be 'nonsense'.
"In considering what should be done with our excellent roadworthy inspection arrangements, the government needs to be careful not to tinker with a system that has served consumers so well and done much to ensure that vehicles on our roads are as safe as they should be," Purchase was quoted saying in a press release yesterday.
Legislation passing through the Victorian parliament back in 1963 mandated roadworthy inspections on transfer of ownership. The aim of the bill was "to protect the lives of all those who use the roads whether as a driver, passenger or pedestrian and to ensure that many defective and unroadworthy vehicles are made safe before they are driven on the road again," in the words of Sir Arthur Rylah, erstwhile Chief Secretary of the Victorian Legislative Assembly.
"So, has anything changed that would make this objective any less relevant today than it obviously was in 1963? Surely not," Purchase rhetorically questioned.
The VACC boss added that cars under three years old could travel well in excess of 60,000km if the owner is a sales person in a regional area. Ultimately, of course, there's some self interest involved on both sides. While the government is looking at cutting costs, the VACC's members are aiming to retain revenue – a point that Purchase acknowledges in a cursory way.
"We are concerned the changes will impact on VACC’s Licensed Motor Car Trader members and affect buyers and sellers who support the current process, because they know a vehicle that has been checked prior to purchase and sold with a Roadworthy Certificate provides peace of mind," he concluded.
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