Department of Transport and Main Roads, Queensland Police crack down on ‘dodgy’ safety certificates as road fatalities rise
Queensland’s road authorities are cracking down amid a rise in motorists submitting fraudulent vehicle safety certificates to avoid paying for repairs. See what it could cost you here.
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Queensland has been identified as a hotspot for fraudulent vehicle safety certificates with the Department of Transport and Main Roads enlisting the help of state police to tackle the problem.
TMR has recently become aware of a number of these ‘dodgy’ roadworthies being issued for sight unseen vehicles which otherwise would not pass a safety inspection.
The transport authority is imposing serious consequences for both motorists and approved inspection stations or approved examiners issuing safety certificates without conducting thorough, appropriate vehicle inspections.
Fines of up to $32,600 for individuals or $220,000 for businesses could be imposed.
It is understood these fraudulent certificates are being issued by unaccredited third parties on social media, with further investigations now in the hands of the Office of Fair Trading and Queensland Police.
According to state road fatality data 144 lives have been lost on our roads as of June 30, an increase of 14.3 per cent from the same period in the previous year.
Department of Transport and Main Roads director general Sally Stannard issued a stark warning of the dangers of buying a vehicle safety certificate via social media.
“It is an offence to present a false safety certificate as part of your vehicle registration,” she said.
“Not only does it pose a safety issue for you and other road users, but where there is reasonable suspicion that a safety certificate has been issued without a complete physical inspection, TMR will order that a new safety certificate be obtained or cancel your vehicle registration.
“Choosing a used vehicle is a big decision. I urge buyers to research and inspect the vehicle you plan to buy and know your rights when buying it.”
The comes after the introduction of new fees for roadworthy certificates that came into effect on July 1.
Safety certificates for vehicles up to 4.5 tonnes now cost $96.05 and certificates for trailers weighing from 750kg to 4.5 tonnes now cost $48.10. Motorcycle certificates were now priced at $61.75.
Replacement certificates and approved examiner’s inspection reports have gone up, to $26.20.
Current TMR regulations require a vehicle to obtain a safety certificate upon transfer of ownership or when registering an unregistered vehicle as a new business transaction.
A Transport and Main Roads spokesman said the social media associated fraudulent certificates can take a number of forms.
“Any person or business that is offering to issue a vehicle safety certificate without undertaking a thorough inspection of the vehicle, will be issuing a fraudulent certificate,” the TMR spokesman said.
“TMR customer service centre representatives are trained to identify fraudulent certificates issued by social media scammers and will not accept them when someone is attempting to register a vehicle with one.”
TMR are determined to implement any necessary scheme, legislative and system process changes to the vehicle inspection scheme, with strong action taken against anyone attempting to undermine it.
Vehicle owners can go to the TMR website to find an accredited AIS provider, the types of inspections they can perform and the maximum fees they can charge for a safety certificate.
Queensland Police have been contacted for comment on their investigation.
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