Roadworthiness of 150,000 cars in doubt

NST: KUALA LUMPUR: It is no accident that the number of road crashes is on the rise. There are about 150,000 second-hand vehicles on our roads whose roadworthiness is in question. Some of these cars are scrap parts that have been cut and welded together.
Road Transport Department records show that the ownership of some 600,000 cars was transferred last year. Only 450,000 of these cars were inspected by Puspakom.
This leaves the roadworthiness of the remaining 150,000 cars in doubt.
Puspakom chief executive officer Salamat Wahit said some of the 150,000 cars might be vehicles assembled from cannibalised parts. They are better known to Malaysians as kereta potong.
Salamat said some of these cars, which were written off as scrap, were sold by unscrupulous motor workshop operators to customers at a bargain after they were patched up with parts from other scrap cars.
"While the restored vehicles may be cheaper, they pose a danger to unsuspecting motorists who think they are getting a bargain," said Salamat.
"Last year, we detected 4,062 illegal cars — kereta potong and those with tampered chassis and engine numbers — compared with only 2,000 such vehicles in 2004. We believe that there are still such cars on the road.
"In the first five months of this year, we managed to detect some 2,000 such cars and it is estimated by year end that some 5,000 illegal cars will be uncovered."
Kereta potong are not safe as the vehicle structure and strength are not similar to the original. They rust easily in the areas which are joined and the vehicle alignment is suspect.
Puspakom, Salamat said, had detected an upward trend in the number of such cars, following an agreement with financial institutions that cars to be financed by the institutions must first be inspected.
"We do not know the status of the 150,000 cars whose ownership were transferred but which do not require a mandatory test by Puspakom."
Kereta potong are sold for cash. Unlike bank-financed vehicles, cars sold for cash need not be inspected by Puspakom.
"Financial institutions have realised the implications of financing a kereta potong but individuals who pay cash for a second-hand vehicle do not realise the importance of getting the car inspected.
"This is why we are pushing the Transport Ministry to make it mandatory for all vehicles whose ownership is transferred to be inspected by Puspakom to ensure they are fit to be on the road."
In 2000, Puspakom detected 82 kereta potong. The following year, the figure was 124, increasing to 287 in 2002 and to 323 in 2003.