INSPECTION OF THREE YEAR-OLD CARS

Dr Chau Sik Ting asked the Minister for Communications and Minister for Labour whether there is a need for the compulsory inspection of cars which are three years old and what studies have been made locally to support this requirement.

Mr Ong Teng Cheong: Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, compulsory inspection of cars for roadworthiness is necessary to ensure that owners maintain their cars in good mechanical condition for their own good as well as that of other road users. With better maintenance there will be fewer breakdowns on the road, less pollution from exhaust smoke, and fewer traffic accidents caused by mechanical failure of vehicles. This has been the experience of most of the developed countries which had made inspection compulsory.

The Government made a study of the practices and experiences of other countries before we decided to introduce compulsory inspection of private cars in Singapore about three years ago. Most of them, West Germany, Japan, New Zealand, Finland, and Bulgaria, require annual inspection of all cars. Some of them, like Sweden, United Kingdom and Austria, require inspection of cars more than two to three years old. Most of these countries have had at least 20 years' experience in inspecting vehicles and have decided on their present standards after much study and refinement. Based on their experience, we will begin inspecting cars more than five years old in 1982 and cars more than three years old in 1983. The requirement is less stringent than the other countries but it will serve our purpose for the time being.

Dr Chau Sik Ting (Thomson): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, in the absence of relevant statistics attributing a high accident rate to mechanical failure, as opposed to human factors, as a cause of accidents among this group of cars, would the Minister be prepared to consider compulsory inspection only for cars five years old and above, and not three years old? This will relieve the great majority of motorists of this unnecessary chore and expense. In fact, two-thirds of the cars in Singapore are under five years old, and motorists generally maintain their cars well as it is very expensive to replace with new cars. Furthermore the average distance covered -

Mr Deputy Speaker: Dr Chau, I must interrupt your speech. I think you have already raised your supplementary question.

Dr Chau Sik Ting: Yes, I have already asked my supplementary question.

Mr Ong Teng Cheong: Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, as I have already explained earlier, compulsory inspection of cars for roadworthiness is to ensure that owners maintain their cars in good mechanical condition, whether they are three years old or five years old. Compulsory inspection is for the good of the owners of the cars as well as for the good of other road users to ensure that accidents caused by mechanical failure of vehicles are reduced or, better still, eliminated. It is for the good of all, and I do not see why there should be any objection from any Member of the House.

Mr Ho See Beng: Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, if the scheme for compulsory inspection of three-year old cars is implemented, may I ask the Minister what will be the increase in manpower required to carry out the inspection satisfactorily, and how many cars does the Minister think can be inspected a day? Assuming the scheme is implemented in 1982, how many cars of three years old will be due for compulsory inspection?

Mr Ong Teng Cheong: Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I am afraid that at this stage I am not able to furnish the figures requested by the hon, Member for Khe Bong. But I assure him that there will be no increase in manpower required when the three-year old cars are due for compulsory inspection in 1983.

The reason we have introduced compulsory inspection for cars which are above five years old in 1982 is that this is the beginning of the scheme. We are giving the two inspection centres that have been authorized to carry out the inspection the necessary experience to do the job. These two inspection centres are fully mechanized and computerized, where necessary, to handle the volume that is anticipated in this exercise. I assure him that they are able to carry out this work without any further increase in manpower.