Cars which belong to the driving schools or institutes undergo a 6 months compulsory inspection by the PUSPAKOM authorities. New cars, less than a year or two old, are inspected once a year.

The Road Transport Authorities has not conducted a “spot check” on most driving institutes, although they began operations some 10 years ago. On 27th of July 2010, the institute to which I am currently attached, was scheduled to undergo a “pemantauan” or spot check by the authorities.

All driving instructors and their vehicles were requested by the management to report to the institute by 8.00 a.m. the morning of 27th July, 2010. Amongst other things, V.E.s or “vehicle experts” from the state department were at our premises to conduct the “spot checks” above.

In this article, I will list down many of the things, most cars were reported to have contravened. Although no summons were issued, the above vehicles were cited for various offences. Out of a total of nearly 70 – 80 vehicles the institute owned, 36 of them were cited for various offences. Those offences will have been repaired. The vehicles will then have to be sent for another inspection by the J.P.J.

Would you believe that all of the institute’s new vehicles made up of Kancils, were pulled up for some faults or other in this exercise conducted recently?

A total of nearly 12 -15 of our vehicles were involved. It may sound surprising, but it is true. Before talking about other vehicles of the institute, which were similarly pulled up for offences, let us first talk about cars of the institute itself. The the above cars were used during “test days” for the Part III (Road Test) of the practical test which a candidate has to undergo.

The institute, due to wrong advices given to the management, had decided to remove the Kancil’s rear screen wipers. All the Kancils were without such wipers when they were inspected. According to the authorities, all commercial vehicles used by institutes for conducting business, must be completely equipped.

The above vehicles were cited as being incomplete. Our vehicles will be given 2 weeks to have the wipers fixed. The vehicles will have to be sent in for a special inspection by the J.P.J. authorities later.

Below, I will list 6 items which of my colleagues faced in the recent “pemantuan” exercise.

1. Excessive steering free play.

Excessive free play of the steering is dangerous. Students especially, will find it difficult to control the steering well. Instructors should see to it, that steering free play more than half an inch either way, should be rectified immediately.

2. Horns which are too weak or non-audible.

Car horns should be loud and clear when applied. Horns are an important item of a car. Most Kancil cars do not seem to have horns which are very audible. They are infact not loud enough when applied. A car, whose horns are not loud enough, will not please the vehicle experts who are testing the car. You will be cited for possessing weak horns during an examination.

3. Air con unit not cool enough.

Malaysia is reputed to possess very hot temperatures. In today’s condition, to be learning in a non air-con car is indeed unbearable. Instructors should see to it that the air con condition of the car, which is used to tutor a student in driving, should have a good air conditioning unit. This will provide the student a conductive learning atmosphere.

4. Signages of driving school/institute not following requirements.

Some instructors do not seem to adhere to the departments’ rules and regulations. Some make these signages of their own, when their old signages become worn out. They should in fact get new signages from the establishment. Sometimes, it has been found that even L plates differ from the standard Ls approved by the authorities.

5. Poor brakes found in many institute’s vehicle.

Many units of our institute’s vehicles, when tested, were found to have braking systems which are not satisfactory. Vehicles with poor brakes, were immediately summoned. Owners of such vehicles will have to get their brakes repaired before it is sent to the authorities for the next inspection.

6. Paintwork or body work of vehicles not in satisfactory condition.

Some vehicles have dented body work and broken fenders, signals and lamps. After some time, the paintwork of the vehicles have faded. Such vehicles need a new coat of paint. Conditions of such cars need to be repaired before it is brought in to the authorities for another round of inspection. The inspection was scheduled for the 10th of August, 2010.

The above are 6 things the authorities found “wrong” with our institute’s cars in the spot check exercise conducted way back in 27th of July 2010. On the whole, the authorities should conduct more of such tests. They are good for the welfare of the institutes.

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Our institute was started way back in 1999. It has been a long time since. From a modest, driving institute with only approximately 30 – 40 driving instructors then, today we have near to 70 – 80 instructors. Proud to say, most instructors have the certificate to teach, the S.M.2., as required by the authorities concerned.

In the years that we have been operating as an institute, the authorities have never conducted a “spot check” or “pemantauan” on us as yet. I remember, on the 27th July 2010, we were subjected to such an exercise.

The above exercise, besides checking on us, was intended as being fostering better relations between the two parties. As a matter of fact, the scrutinity that was to be made by the authorities was good for the welfare of the institute as a whole. Why should this be so?

The institute, to which I am attached to, was to be inspected, was suddenly spruced up by the management concerned. First of all, the institute’s premises and its limited number of roads and parking facilities, were attended to immediately. Parking poles were repainted.

Of course, roads, which were normally riddled with pot holes and small craters, were patched up. An Indian contractor and a few workers were engaged to do the above job. They spent more than half a day at our institute repairing and patching up the entire institute recently. The institute’s premises were trimmed meticulously. Green trees and flowers grown around our institute, to provide shades and to beautify the surroundings, were attended to.

Rubbish and other things that required attention, were accorded the attention that was never given to them previously. For the good of the institute, the authorities, should conduct more of such observations on our institute and other driving institutes more often.

Even, the Deputy Director, who graciously came along to officiate the “pemantauan” exercise, was surprised, that our toilet facilities that particular day, was spick and span.

In his short speech to some 70 – 80 driving instructors and personnel of the institute, the director jokingly reiterated that there were times when he need to use its toilet facilities, had discovered the above facilities in dire, appalling conditions, much to his chagrin. He reminded the institute’s establishment to always remember to keep our toilet facilities clean.

The “pemantauan” programme began at 9.00 a.m. sharp. No fewer than 15 officers from the department arrived at our institute’s premises in 3 or 4 department’s familiar, blue coloured vehicles. After preliminary introductions, the Deputy Director and his team of high ranking officers, were treated to a hearty, traditional Malay breakfast which comprised of nasi lemak and kuih-muih or Malay cakes. As instructors and department’s officers had their breakfast, their conversation continued.

After breakfast, participants gathered in one of the bigger lecture halls, usually meant for Kursus Pendidikan Pemandu (KPP), and the “pemantauan” exercise thus began.

After the Deputy Director’s short speech, a few high ranking officers took over the floor. A lady officer emphasized upon the filling up of Borang 4. It was discovered, that our institute, had all along, filled this form incorrectly and not according to departments’ requirements. In future, the lady officer insisted, this anomaly had to be rectified.

With this “pemantauan” exercise, the Department’s visit to our institute, had also intended to gauge or determine the standard of our institute’s instructors. With this in mind, instructors were thus divided into various teams for cars, lorry and motorcycle tests, which the department’s testers would conduct.

Instructors were given the opportunity to do a few rounds of practices before the real tests began. Like students, instructors were only humans. Without a doubt, some instructors failed to go up the slopes as required, much to the glee of other compatriots around.

While the tests continued, another set of department’s officials, or V.E. or better known as “vehicle experts”, then carried out their expert knowledge upon our 100 vehicles, such as cars, lorries and motorcycles, used for learning or for testing candidates.

Pertaining to cars, all of which use the Kancil 660 c.c, the institute has infact more than 100 or so such cars. These cars were all lined up in rows of 5 or 6 cars at the back of our institute. V.E.s took some 2 hours or so to test all the vehicles, both old and new driving around the entire institute’s premises, going up slopes and down it as brakes and gears were tested rigidly.

Finally, these vehicles were driven into garages, where another group tested the vehicles air-con system, the horn and lights system, steering free play, engine conditions, company’s logo signage, the display of L signs, which are all vitally necessary for a driving school vehicle.

I will accord a few articles in the future to deal with what our vehicles were pulled up for or faulted for. This is important as in future “pemantauan”, instructors as well as the institute’s establishment, will known what to expect from the department’s future observations.

However, to be frank, it is not possible to highlight all the weakness and faults of each and every vehicle. But rest assured, the major faults will surely be highlighted for the benefit of most of our instructors.

The “pemantauan” exercise finally ended with the gathering of everyone once again in the lecture room. The officer in charge gave us a report of the day’s findings and testing of all our vehicles. After entertaining a few questions from participants, the exercise finally ended and all the participants and officers from the department were afterwards entertained to a good hearty lunch prepared by the institute.

In my opinion, the “pemantauan” exercise was well organized and what is more important, is that it was beneficial to all parties concerned. Surprisingly, it was well attended by driving instructors of the institute as a whole.

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