Anbessa City Bus Enterprise, Ethiopia awarded the 3.16 million birr contract, to supply an automatic vehicle inspection machine to Gigar Trading and Technical Center.
The contract requires Gigar to supply, install, commission the machine as well as providing training for operators.
Anbessa is required to install the inspection machine following the directive from the Federal Transport Authority that mandates automation for all vehicle inspection sites.
The machine will be imported from Vehicle Testing Equipment, in Spain and will be installed in 45 days according to Gigar Solomon, Owner and Managing Director of Gigar Trading.The vehicle inspection machine will be able to test brake force, shock absorbers, chassis, carbon emission and headlight-beam alignment among other things according to Negusu Lakachew, technical Manager with Anbessa.
Anbessa, which inspects cross country buses and vehicles with ET plate numbers, expects automated testing to significantly reduce the high numbers of traffic accidents reported all over the country noted Bedlu Aseffa General Manager of the bus service.
Nineteen inspection sites are expected to commence operation this fiscal year with twelve said to be already operating in Addis Ababa and three other locations in Amhara Regional State.
Some technicians express concern that the standards are set too high for many cars in Ethiopia. A particular cause for concern is the test for emissions which may incur high maintenance costs on some vehicles.
The Ethiopian Transport Authority claims that the new standards are based on random inspections it carried out.
Source: Addis Fortune
