New vehicle inspection rules could mean more fines, mechanics say

New inspection rules for motor vehicles on Nova Scotia roads and highways will likely result in more tickets and fines for car owners, according to several mechanics in Halifax area.

Under the new rules, which are scheduled to take effect on June 1,new cars, vans and trucks purchased after April 1 will not be required to undergo an inspection for three years. All other vehicles will only be required to be inspected every second year.

In addition to the new rules, the provincial government will increase its roadside inspections.

Chris Belfield, a shop manager at a garage in Lower Sackville, N.S., said the relaxation of inspections will mean more cars will pass inspection at the garage but they'll possibly fail a roadside inspection later on.

"A lot more fines," Belfield told CBC News on Thursday. "A lot more money in the government coffers, if you will."

Service Nova Scotia Minister Richard Hurlburt said the new vehicle inspection rules are about making the province's roads safer and not about gouging motorists.

"Road safety is paramount to this government and to Nova Scotians," Hurlburt said on Thursday. "They want to make sure the vehicles on the highway are safe to be on the highway."

"They want to make their roads safer, let's make the roads safer by fixing the roads," Lower Sackville mechanic Colin (Beaker) Burke said.

Both Belfield and Burke are advising customers who pass an inspection at a garage but later fail a roadside check to complain to the provincial government and not to their mechanics.