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KUALA LUMPUR: The government will make it mandatory for vehicles of 15 years and older to be inspected annually to ensure their road worthiness and as a requirement for road-tax renewal.

“It is the first step towards the implementation of a full end-of-life vehicle (ELV) policy,” International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Mus-tapa Mohamed said at the unveiling of the new National Automotive Policy yesterday.

Vintage cars owners, however, can breathe easy as the government would make provisions for that segment.

The Transport Ministry will formulate a roadmap to reach full implementation of the ELV policy.

At present, there are 2.7 million passenger vehicles of 10 years or older on the road.

The International Trade and Industry Ministry said Malaysia had a very low vehicle-scrap rate and relatively high average vehicle age compared with other countries.

Proton Edar Dealers Association Malaysia said the man-datory inspection of old vehicles was a good move and in line with developed countries.

But it hoped that the scrapping policy, introduced under the second financial stimulus package and due to end in December, would continue.

“Although the quantum offered to scrap vehicles of 10 years and older is low, it should be an option given Malaysia’s relatively high average vehicle age,” president Armin Baniaz said.

“The scrapping of old cars is important for our automotive industry which is quite saturated at the moment. The introduction of an ELV policy will address our saturated automotive market, as well as vehicle road worthiness and environmental issues.”

Malaysian Automotive Association president Datuk Aishah Ahmad also welcomed the move to keep old and unsafe cars off the road.

Asked if MAA was disappointed there was no permanent scrapping policy announced, she said: “The government has told us that it has no funds to subsidise scrapping of old vehicles.”

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