AASP/NJ Urges Repairers and Consumers to Fight Proposed Inspection Changes
The Alliance of Automotive Service Providers of New Jersey (AASP/NJ), along with the state’s other two mechanical repair associations, (the Mechanic’s Education Association [MEA] and the Professional Automotive Technicians Association [PATA]), are urging all New Jersey repairers to attend a crucial public hearing on the state’s inspection program. The meeting will be held Monday, July 17, 2006 at 10:00 A.M. at the Motor Vehicle Commission’s 8th Floor East Wing Conference in Trenton.
“We realize that sometimes these announcements sound like typical ‘Chicken Little’ warnings,” says AASP/NJ’s Bob Everett. “But this is the real deal. The state is seriously considering cutting back its inspection program and that could be devastating to our industry as well as the general public.”
According to a proposal from the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (NJMVC), the state is considering amendments to its regulations pertaining to motor vehicle and motorcycle inspection standards as well as test procedures to be used by official inspection facilities and licensed private inspection facilities. The proposed amendments reclassify various minor safety equipment defects that are presently cause for motor vehicles and motorcycles to fail inspection, such minor safety equipment defects will no longer be cause for inspection failure requiring re-inspection at official inspection facilities or licensed private inspection facilities. However, motorists will be advised to have the minor safety equipment defects corrected.
“If there ever was a time to act, that time is now,” Everett says. “Within the last few months, we have seen the sales tax raised, our small business taxes raised and our home owner rebates slashed, among other things. Unbelievable as it is, our state was even closed for a week. So we shouldn’t be surprised if these amendments are passed as quickly as possible. That’s why we need to show our legislators that enough is enough. The inspection program in this state has been a shambles for over a decade and this is just another nail in the coffin of our industry as well as a threat to public safety. I strongly urge every one of the state’s repairers (and their customers) to either show up on Tuesday or call their representatives and tell them we won’t stand for this. We’re a tough bunch of people but after awhile, you can only take so much.”
