COSTA RICA NEWS — Broken windshields, rethreaded tires and improperly anchored front bumpers are a few of the items that starting January 2015 will be “grave” (serious), any one resulting in a failed vehicular inspection.
Wait, weren’t these already “grave”? Apparently not, since these are part of the new provisions by the Consejo de Seguridad Vial (Cosevi), the state agency that defines the parameters of the inspections carried out by Riteve.
Germán Valverde González, director of the Cosevi, explained that front fenders/bumpers that are at risk of falling of will fail the inspection. With respect to tires, rethreaded tires on passengers vehicles are not permitted under any circumstance. Rethreaded tires are acceptable on commercial vehicles if and only when the tires were manufactured with the rethreading option.
Valderde also explained that all vehicles registered entering the country in 2015 and forward must have a speedometer in kilometres per hour..
Other “graves” are for vehicles who have not changed their license plate to the new based on the scheduling of the Property Registry (Registro Nacional). At present time all vehicles with their plates ending in 1, 2, 3 and 4 are affected.
The Riteve inspection will also, starting in January, inspect the state of the airbags, its installation and assembly. The control has four possible serious faults and two minor.
The new parameters also downgrade some serious faults to minor or “leve”, like altered odometers and mismatched headlights. Other changes in the parameters affect public service vehicles such as buses and taxis.
A vehicle can have any quantity of “leves” and still pass the inspection. “Leves” are flaws in the vehicle that the owner is recommended to repair, but pass the inspection. But one “grave” results in a failed inspection.
The major reason for failed inspections are gas emissions (43%), brake failures (12%) and poor tire conditions (11%).
The cost of the inspection for a light passenger vehicle is ¢9.930 colones. Re-inspections (up to 30 days of the original inspection) are one half that.
Vehicles who failed the inspection and subsequent re-inspections within the 30 days will have to undergo a new total inspection. Re-inspections can only be made at the location of the original inspection.
Appointments for inspection/re-inspection can be made online at www.rtv.co.cr or by calling 905 788 0000.
PS: New rules at Riteve that went into effect his past week are the requirement of a cedula or passport and a drivers license. Without Riteve will refuse to inspect the vehicle.
With notes from La Nacion, graphic La Nacion
