New cars that are privately owned will no longer be required to be inspected for the first six years of use starting September of this year, announced the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) yesterday.

Current practice dictated that private cars had to pass vehicle safety inspections every two years.

Like Us on Facebook

However, inspections after a car is six years old will still continue as is the norm, with annual inspections until its 15th year, once every six months from the 16th to 20th year, and once every three months from its 21st year onwards.

In an effort to streamline the process and improve efficiency within the system, effective December 31, car check-ups can be done in any city within the province.

For the long term, the MPS hopes to make it so that cars will be able to have their check-up at any center on the Chinese mainland, ShanghaiDaily reports.

According to reports from Xinhua news, Wei Chuanzhong, deputy director of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) said that the new regulation will also prohibit policemen and vehicle quality inspectors from setting up their own private centers in order to prevent insider dealing.

With a projected 265 million new cars by the end of this year, this change comes as a great relief to drivers all over China.

Previously, drivers have been complaining about the inefficiency of the system because of the lack of inspection centers in major cities.

Some say that they have had to take a leave of absence for a whole day from their work just to have their cars inspected. They wait for hours before an inspector would give the vehicle a quick look before issuing the inspection papers, according to the report.

Because of this, most drivers have resorted to bribery just so they can get through the inspections quickly.

The MPS and AQSIQ said that they will release more information regarding the program in the following months to ensure efficient implementation.

Some speculate that this regulation is, in part, a response to eliminate corruption and bribery in vehicle testing. Drivers remain hopeful that the new directive will deliver what it promises.

TagsMinistry of Public Security, vehicle inspection