The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has clarified that traffic police officers will not enforce the mandatory motor vehicle inspection requirement on private vehicles during roadside checks, amid growing public concern over the implementation of new inspection regulations.
In a public notice issued on Sunday June 28, the Authority said private vehicle owners will not be penalised for failing to undergo mandatory inspection during route checks, adding that enforcement of the requirement will be communicated at a later date.
The latest clarification comes just days after the NTSA announced that all vehicles older than four years would be required to undergo annual inspections beginning July 1. The announcement sparked confusion among motorists over how the new rules would be implemented and enforced.
NTSA announced that school transport operators will not face penalties for non-compliance with Rule 13 on reflectorised red stop mechanical signal arms and Rule 14 on telematic systems under the Traffic (School Transport) Rules, 2026.
“School transport operators shall not be penalised for non-compliance with Rule 13 (Reflectorised red stop mechanical signal arms) and Rule 14 (Telematic system) of the Traffic (School Transport) Rules, 2026,” the Authority said.
Similarly, commercial service vehicle operators will not be penalised for failing to comply with the telematic system requirement under Regulation 9(d) of the NTSA (Operations of Commercial Vehicles) Regulations, 2026.
The Authority said details on the implementation and enforcement of the affected provisions will be communicated to the public in due course.
NTSA further cautioned motorists against relying on unverified information circulating on social media, warning that misleading reports regarding vehicle inspection requirements have caused confusion among road users.
“The Authority has noted the circulation of inaccurate and misleading information regarding motor vehicle inspection. We strongly urge the public to rely exclusively on official communication issued directly by the Authority through its official channels/platforms,” NTSA cautioned.
The Authority urged members of the public to seek updates only through its official communication channels to ensure they receive accurate information on the rollout of the new regulations.
