Fraud Revealed at 10 Vehicle Inspection Stations
The Investigation Service of the Ministry of Finance has released information on fraud that was discovered in relation to the vehicle technical inspection process, which evaluates vehicle emissions and safety standards.
A statement from the Investigative Service said that, as a result of investigative activities, 10 centers for vehicle technical inspection have been identified in the regions of Tbilisi, Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti, Imereti, Kakheti and Mtskheta-Mtianeti, whose employees have been falsifying passing inspection reports for municipal and privately-owned vehicles.
An investigation is underway under Article 362 and Article 221 (2) of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which could carry a punishment of four to six years in prison.
The third phase of Georgia’s new technical vehicle inspection requirements began on October 1, 2018. Inspection is now mandatory for all vehicles with an engine of 3,000 cubic centimeters or more. The first phase, launched January 1, 2018, mandated inspections for trucks larger than 3.5 tons and passenger vehicles with more than eight seats. The second phase, which began on July 1, 2018, included all government-owned vehicles. Starting January 1, 2019, all remaining vehicles will be required to undergo an inspection, with the exception of cars four years old or newer. Vehicles five or six years old will be inspected once every two years, and vehicles older than six years will require annual inspections. The cost of an inspection is 60 GEL ($23). If a car fails the test the first time, its owner is given a 30-day period to fix the identified problems. Re-inspection is free. The inspections were designed to meet EU standards, as required by the 2014 Georgia-EU Association Agreement.
There are 32 auto service centers throughout Georgia that are certified to provide technical inspections. More information on inspections can be found at www.pti.ge. There is also an information hotline that can be reached by calling 1484.
Last week, the Transport Department of Tbilisi City Hall announced that approximately 200 public marshrutkas (minibuses) and 100 public buses had failed their inspections and were subsequently banned from driving on Georgian roads.
On October 11, Vazha Iordanishvili, Head of the Association of Automobile Inspection, said that since January, 90,000 vehicles have undergone compulsory periodic technical inspections and 24,000 failed the initial inspection.
"The existence of up to 27% of cars with malfunctions is quite a high figure. We are talking about the first inspection attempt: every fourth car does not pass inspection the first time," Iordanishvili said.
Many drivers who fail the initial inspection refuse to make the necessary upgrades or repairs and submit their vehicle for a re-check. Iordanishvili blames this on the fact that the country does not strictly monitor the serviceability of cars on the roads, and patrol police officers, who are responsible for enforcing the vehicle inspection requirements, do not penalize drivers found without inspection certificates. Some drivers also claim that 30 days is not enough time to fix the vehicle’s problems.
Iordanishvili proposes several possible solutions, including equipping the existing network of smart cameras with functionality to detect cars that have not passed inspection and automatically fine drivers without inspection certificates. He also warns of reports of drivers tampering with their engines by adding a certain chemical mixture to the fuel to improve emissions readings, among other manipulative practices.
Iordanishvili also urges the Georgian Committee for Environmental Protection to adopt a practice that has proven effective in the United States – installing special indicators on roads which automatically measure the quantity and composition of vehicle exhaust, and use license plate cameras to fine violators.
Deputy Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Akaki Sagirashvili responded to the accusations of fraud and corruption at the 10 inspection centers. “It is very important for us to carry out the periodic technical inspection reform transparently and in accordance with public interests. We are grateful to the Investigative Service of the Ministry of Finance for their timely and immediate reaction to our appeal which revealed and identified these violations. At this stage, we are planning to suspend the 10 centers, and the results of the investigation do not exclude the use of more severe sanctions, including abolishing accreditation for some of the centers.”
By Samantha Guthrie
Image source: Auto Repair Concord NH. NOTE: This is meant as a generic photo. The identities of the service centers accused of fraud have not been released