ACT Government RTA Proceedures

[Bucknaked]

I'll try to refraim from political bashing. Just wanted to ask the question

In Canberra, the ACT has done away with yearly visits to the motor registry. We never had the pink slip system, it was always the case of an inspection over the pits once a year, and you repaired what failed or you just paid your rego fee.

Since doing away with these systems, we now have random road side inspections. Like RBT's, we are pulled over by the police on the side of the road and an RTA officer gives your car the basic look over. Horn works, brake lights & Indicators. Sweet, your on your way. They also do car park inspections as well. You can cop a notice and told to appear for an inspection.

This happened 2 days ago. 2 people at work copped defect notices. The reason was simple. Number plates don't appear to have been issued by the RTA. : To seek further clarification on the matter, it appears that there is someone running off fake plates. So they want you and your car in for an inspection. For making you attend an inspection, they make you pay $36. You have 2 weeks to have it inspected via an appointment at your own time and expense. They inspect your plates and if legal your on your way. So its very nice of them, make you front an inspection during your work time, and then make you pay $36. Its a great service.

Anyway, one of the people who got the ticket attended the inspection station for her morning appointment. Only to be told that the appointment is now in the afternoon, and her car is now defected and she can't go away and come back later. So now she has to take the day fom work and spend hours waiting with her car until they see fit to inspect her car.

Upon inspection, they discover she indeed has these illegal plates. So for that, they will slug her $270 in a fine and make her buy new plates. So she argues with them. Having bought the car 2nd hand from a dealer, the plates had been on the car since before she bought it. The previous owner had bought these illegal plates. So anyway, she argues with them about the not knowing the plates were illegal in the first place, to which they said that she should have known. But she bought the car with the plates. Shouldn't the dealer be aware of this, to which they said that the dealer wouldn't know about it. : They are a dealer and cars is their business. They expect the owner to know, but not the dealer.

What I find intersting in all of this, apart from obvious kick to public coffers, is when she bought the car, it must be inspected by the RTA. The plates were on the car when she bought it, they inspected it before she took ownership and now, they slug her with a fine for something that they never detected the first time around. Does this seem right?

I must be missing something.

[Bucknaked]

Actually, i should add that the plates in Question are the personalised plates. These are the laminated ones you can purchase from the RTA.

[pertuan]

1. If they make an appointment, they should keep it. I dont care what their reasons are but unless its something along the lines of "Australia is under invasion" or "Our office just burnt down", its absolutely unsatisfactory.

2. If said car was bought from the dealer and was found to have fake plates, I would have a go at the dealer and have them pay the fine. However, since the RTA had to inspect the car prior to sale, the RTA should be held responsible for their own slackness or stupidity.

3. That 36 bucks to get your car inspected is absolutely bull.

[AWD Chaser]

If you refuse to pay a fine, you can challenge it... just like any parking ticket and speeding fine etc.... Chanllenge it... they will usually just give in (cause they are so wrong here), so as not to waste their own time or money, etc...

That does suck though. Get her to talk to legal aid.....

[Falchoon]

Originally Posted by au3 chaser

If you refuse to pay a fine, you can challenge it... just like any parking ticket and speeding fine etc.... Chanllenge it... they will usually just give in (cause they are so wrong here), so as not to waste their own time or money, etc...

That does suck though. Get her to talk to legal aid.....

Not worth it. She would need to take more time off work to attend court snd there is no guarantee she would win, could lose and end up paying hundreds more in court costs.

The RTA should of picked it up when the car was previously inspected but perhaps they were not aware of of the fake plates scam at the time.

How different do the plates look, Dwayne? I've got (legit) laminated plates too and the last thing I need is a defect or even a present for inspection notice. :

[Bucknaked]

Originally Posted by Falchoon

How different do the plates look, Dwayne? I've got (legit) laminated plates too and the last thing I need is a defect or even a present for inspection notice. :

I didn't see her plates as she was already at the RTA when she rang in to say she wouldn't be in the office. Apparently it is the way the plates are cut. The edges are different and have a rough appearence. This is what they told her.

The other guy who has to go in for the same thing bought his plates from the RTA himself and when he swapped them over to vehicles, they inspected the plates at the time. So he will be ok. Just out of pocket for $36.

Apparently, the company running off the shonky plates are operating out of fyshwick

[trick_xd]

Originally Posted by Bucknaked

Apparently, the company running off the shonky plates are operating out of fyshwick

Haha I worked in fyshwick for 4 years when i lived there .. I seen a bit of Shonky stuff go on around there ..

I used to work for Mac Print and the boss there would break fingers of anybody if they did something shonky at his Business .. He got ripped off once and checks out every thing himself now

[BPXR6T]

Doesn't suprise me one bit. Canberra sucks big time. It was a widely known fact that when going over the pits if the guy looking over your car was having a bad day then you were certain to fail. It was a joke.

I recently wanted to put a set of wheels on my 69 ute. The B.S. I had to go through to find someone who finally told me that I couldn't increase the rolling diameter by more than 15mm. I'm keeping my car ultra legit to avoid the hassles. All the horsepower is going to be discretely tucked away in the block of my 351.

As far as your friend. Don't pay the fine. I'd go nuts just on principle. She should bill them, not them bill her.

[kyro_02]

i just hate the idea of the 1 year inspections, thank gawd for melb... an if they even brang it in i'd be very annoyed.... just waste of my time =)

i think i've heard of illegal plates being sold/bought ... years ago... ddamn shame people get burnt even though it isn't their fault :/

[Gimmers55]

Send a ministerial to the appropriate department's Minister. It must be investigated and the Minister must be briefed and then he/she respond to the complainant.

Sucks big time but I guess that given the ACTs appalling financial state, it will do anything to bring in more dollars to get it out of the red.

[pertuan]

Annual inspections are stupid.

However, I am all in favour of say... 5 yearly inspections. That would keep the rust buckets that have bits hanging off them off the roads.