This is a timely subject for me because I had my car, 309 Peugeot inspected here in Mahajanga on Friday Nov 10th. My car is 21 years old and as usual the inspectors can find something wrong with the car. I always send my driver to take my car in for inspection and I gave him 230.000 fmg. As usual they found the high beams did not work and the brakes were weak. My driver said that the other car is in the repair shop so please pass this one.
The inspector said how much do you have in you pocket and my driver showed all 230,000fmg. That was the cost to have my car stamped for inspection for another year. 130,000fmg for the cost of the inspection, same as last year, and 100,000 fmg to the inspector.
I think it is best to have my driver take the car in for if I did I would be charged a higher price. Having a driver also saves me in other areas as in police stops, my driver has no money in his pocket. Also daily washing and weekly maintenance tuneups and dealing with other pick up and drop off services.
Vehicle Inspection
Funny story of my Brother in law who owned a taxi in Antsohihy several years ago. It was the day he needed his car inspected but the taxi was broken. He took his documents and a picture of his taxi on his phone and with some extra money he was able to get his inspection documents for another year.
I should add that though my driver takes care of the car inspection, the inspectors will also see that the owner of this car is Malagasy as I put the car in my wife's name. If an inspector or anyone else in the money collecting business can smell Vasaha they will want more money and if I were to resist they can make crazy with my documents.
Having put a couple of layers between me and the inspectors/authorities I am reminded of my fathers advice of never making an enemy of a mental ill person with a good income or in a position of power.
In the USA there is not much in the way of vehicle inspection which could or not include a pollution test every other year. It varies from state to state and even within different counties in certain states. I am connected to Calif which has strict standards, some 15 years when I was spending far more time in Madagascar I decided to register my vehicle in a free state without regulations and inspections, thus saving time and money.
In Madagascar and in my city of Mahajanga it is curious to see trucks that deliver sand and rock , that have little to no brakes. While the truck is in reverse, men will run behind the truck to place or throw a rock under the wheels to stop the truck,amazing but this is how things are done here. Point being these trucks also pass inspection.
I have been driving for 45 years, and this includes construction vehicles, trucks, and buses, cars motorcycles... in all states of malfunction. It is very rewarding to take part in the driving of these vehicles with their own personalities. Once a vehicle is so perfect to drive , well in my opinion it might as well be one of those, self driving vehicles that are now operational in some parts of the world.
Even though Madagascar Inspections are ludicrous, it does bring back some nostalgic memories of me getting my car passed in Calif some 35 years ago and working with the mechanic and his machine to lower the emissions, to beat the system and build relationships. Those were the days and I am comfortable with the ways things are working here because I was once in their shoes.
