"Cars Over Five Years Old Are Not Roadworthy." How Old Is Your Car?
Half of the vehicles over five year old are said to be unsuitable to be on the road. Really? What if they are well maintained?
The 12-Year Lifespan Cap Will Not Be Imposed, Says Government
Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Abdul Aziz Kaprawi said the federal government has no plans to go ahead with the proposal.
"I want to stress we have no plans to impose a lifespan on cars for disposal purposes and we do not want to burden the public," the Deputy Transport Minister said.
Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Abdul Aziz Kaprawi suggested that the proposal was only a study and that there was never a definitive proposal to implement the cap, saying Putrajaya was aware of its impact on consumers and the automotive industry.
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The proposal has come under fire from Sim and his colleague Rafizi Ramli who had charged that it was Putrajaya's way of collecting more revenue through the GST that would take off in April 2015.
Not Everyone Can Afford To Replace 12-Year-Old Cars, Says Hishammuddin Hussein
The Transport Ministry is still studying if 12-year-old cars should be taken off roads as they are deemed unsafe.
A comprehensive study on economic and social impact is needed before banning vehicles aged more than 12 years from plying on roads, said Acting Transport Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein.
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He said the study would also look into those who might be affected by the vehicle life span rule if it were to be implemented.
"We need to study cost of living and financial predicament faced by motorists before implementing such rule. Let's not be hasty in making the decision," he told reporters.
In February this year, the Malaysia Automotive Institute proposed that vehicles older than 10 years should not be on the road if Putrajaya decided to go ahead with the full vehicle end-of-life policy. Consumer association Fomca had objected to the earlier proposal and suggested that cars more than 15 years old should be subject to a roadworthiness test.
These Photos From the MIROS Crash Test Will Make You Think Again Before Driving a 23-Year-Old Proton Saga
MIROS conducted a frontal collision test on an old Proton Saga model at its Provisional Crash Safety Engineering Unit (Crase) Crash Centre or PC3 in Malacca on Friday.
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The Proton Saga sedan manufactured in 1990 crashed on the driver's side into the stationary aluminium honeycomb at approximately 64 km/h upon impact with three dummies inside the vehicle.
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According To MIROS, Studies Show Vehicles Over Five Years Old Are Not Suitable To Be Put On The Road Again
According To MIROS, Studies Show Vehicles Over Five Years Old Are Not Suitable To Be Put On The Road Again
Image via miros.gov.myThe Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS) director-general Professor Dr. Wong Shaw Voon said, studies show that half of the vehicles over five years old have failed the Puspakom roadworthiness tests.
In other words, these cars are not suitable to be put on the road again.
MIROS D-G Says Car Manufacturers Design Vehicles For A Specific Life Span
Wong told Sin Chew Daily car manufacturers normally design the vehicles for a specific length of life span. Vehicles that are driven frequently on the road without regular replacement of faulty parts actually only have five years of life span.
"Vehicles for normal driving and with regular maintenance can last for eight years. If an owner has taken very good care of his or her vehicle, then it can last up to 12 years."
mysinchew.comHowever, he said vehicles older than this can still run on the road, but their fuel economy and efficiency would be drastically compromised, with increasingly higher chances of breakdowns and the owners will need to fork out more money and time to fix their vehicles.
It Is The Same Reason Why Car Warranties Only Lasts Three To Five Years
He said this is why many car manufacturers have offered only three to five years of warranty, adding that compulsory inspection could help the owners better understand the conditions of their vehicles in a bid to reduce risks of traffic incidents.
This Is Why The Inspection Of Aging Vehicles At Puspakom Is Necessary
He said vehicle inspection is necessary although members of the public are concerned about irregularities during the execution stage, adding that the government should give priority to solving such issues.
He said it is not sure whether Puspakom will be wholly authorized to inspect aging vehicles or other inspection centers will also be allowed to participate in vehicle inspection. However he said the government can emulate the system in UK where vehicles are inspected and maintained simultaneously.
mysinchew.comThe Public Has Not Been Positive To The Proposal Of A Compulsory Vehicle Inspection By Puspakom
Compulsory inspection for vehicles over five years of age has not received positive response from everyone. Some said the government should first resolve the issue of Puspakom's efficiency before considering implementation of compulsory inspection.
In addition there have also been calls for the government to liberalize the vehicle inspection market, allowing other operators to also participate, otherwise it would be unfair for consumers to send in their vehicles over five years old for inspection.
mysinchew.comThey said the policy should be carried out on a voluntary basis instead of making it compulsory for all vehicle owners to send in their cars for inspection, thus aggravating their financial burden and mental stress.
mysinchew.comA car critic told Sin Chew Daily it is not really necessary to send all cars over five years old for inspection. He proposed that the government should instead make it compulsory for owners to send in their vehicles older than ten years.
The Public Has Not Been Positive To The Proposal Of A Compulsory Vehicle Inspection By Puspakom
Image via paultan.org