JEDDAH, 6 January 2005 -- Jeddah's only Motor Vehicle Periodic Inspection (MVPI) center is proving to be insufficient for the ever-increasing number of automobiles. This is evident from the overcrowding at the center, with automobile owners and drivers complaining of long waits.

According to traffic rules, it is mandatory for every automobile to be checked and passed at the center annually. However, in practice cars are going through the procedure once every three years, to comply with the renewal of their istimara (registration), or at the time of selling their vehicle.

Each car takes at least 20 to 30 minutes to go through all the checks stipulated by the traffic department for mandatory checking. They include the brakes, exhaust, tires, headlights and sidelights, wipers and suspension.

But what is more time consuming is the wait at the computerized traffic office where cash is collected for preparing the official papers for going through the inspection procedure. "The counters are few and it's high time many more counters are provided," an angry car owner remarked.

"As a result, it takes an hour or two for a car to be inspected at the center," said Muhammad Saleh, another car owner. "It's difficult for people like me to return to work if the MVPI is going to take such a long time," he said.

Even as he was worried about the long hours he had to spend at the MVPI, a mechanic emerged on the scene and offered to finish his work within half an hour. "I can do this work for you for SR173 (SR73 will go toward the official fee and I charge SR100," he told Saleh.

When the mechanic was asked how he could do that so fast when each vehicle was taking up to two hours, he remarked: "I've my ways of entering the center without being in the queue."

The MVPI in north Jeddah is surrounded by mechanics, some of whom have their car repair shops in the vicinity. One of the mechanics told Arab News that he could do the MVPI job for SR300 in less than half an hour and present the car with the sticker for a new year stuck on the front windshield.

Inquiries with workshops outside the MVPI show that they undertake the MVPI work for a fee. They also rent tires, wipers, headlights and sidelights for all cars just for the purpose of the MVPI procedure.

"Owners and drivers are only interested in getting their annual sticker. And they are happy if they can get it without incurring expenditure on new parts," a workshop attendant said.

However, an official at the traffic office painted a different picture. On why the center was overcrowded, he said: "This place is not as crowded as people have been talking about. The main reason for such long queues is that many people want to get the new sticker for their cars to enter Makkah, get Haj permits and work for the Haj."

The rush is also partly because some car owners choose this period of time to sell their cars, as there are many buyers to put them to use during the Haj season. And they need a new MVPI sticker to sell the vehicle.

"In normal days, there is no queue like this, except perhaps on Tuesdays and Wednesdays," the traffic official added.

The testing fee at the MVPI center is SR73 for small and medium cars. A vehicle failing the test is given a second chance within two weeks for an additional fee of SR24. The owner is supposed to get the "failed" parts of the car repaired before submitting for further checks. However, if the driver does not turn up within the two-week time, he has to pay SR73 once again for a new test. Big trucks are charged a fee of SR205 for a six-monthly check. Trucks failing in the first inspection pay SR92 for another check within two weeks.

Whatever the reasons for the long queues at the MVPI, people in general feel that the car population is increasing by leaps and bounds and so either the existing inspection facilities should be expanded or another center established.

Hassan Adawi, Arab News

© Arab News 2005