Deputy Kevin Lewis made the comments after a consultation period with the motor industry had to be paused because of the pandemic. It was restarted in October but information gathered from the process revealed that it would take 36 months to put the necessary systems in place to support the inspections.
The checks are being introduced as a result of the States Assembly agreeing in 2018 to sign up to the Vienna Convention. The government has said the treaty allows continued free movement of Jersey-registered vehicles in Europe post-Brexit but means all cars must be certified as fully roadworthy.
Deputy Lewis said that despite the delay, Islanders would still be able to drive their cars in Europe because the EU is satisfied with the progress Jersey is making.
He added: ‘We have already begun testing motorbikes and minibuses. Lorries have been tested for a long time – it is just a delay for cars. We do not know yet whether we will be testing cars ourselves through DVS or whether it will be local companies doing it. That is yet to be determined.
‘We do not have motorways in Jersey and cars do not take as much punishment as they would in the UK so the PTI [periodic technical inspection] will be no where near as onerous as MOTs are in the UK.’
According to the specifications for Jersey PTIs, all cars which are more than five years old will be inspected every three years to ensure they meet basic safety standards. Meanwhile, motorcycles and mopeds already have to be inspected every two years once they are three years old.
However, in the UK an MOT must be carried out each year on all vehicles over three years old. The same set of rules apply to motorbikes.
Asked whether the high cost of testing equipment and more infrequent test intervals might discourage some garages from opting in to carry out PTIs on commercial grounds, Deputy Lewis said: ‘Obviously we have garages in Jersey at the moment that carry out vehicle servicing. They would need new equipment but apart from that they are already doing the work, as it were. I do not think it would be too onerous but it is an investment.
‘That is all out to consultation and the team at DVS are going through all of that as we speak. Some people are very interested and others are not so.’
Deputy Lewis was also asked if the delay in technical inspections could lead to some motorists postponing urgent maintenance on unroadworthy vehicles.
‘No,’ he said. ‘It is still a legal requirement to have your vehicle in roadworthy condition. There are still, as there always have been, road-checks with DVS, the States police and honorary police – they will continue.’
