New car inspection plan launches tomorrow statewide

By Globe Staff

The state is launching a new vehicle inspection program tomorrow that promises to take less time, increase the number of safety checks performed at local service stations, but cost the same $29 per vehicle. The program will also have a new logo, website, and toll-free hot line.

The Registry of Motor Vehicles and the Department of Environmental Protection jointly have hired Parsons Commercial Technology Group Inc. to manage the system and install next generation emissions and safety equipment at 1,400 sites statewide.

Owners of failed vehicles will have 60 days to get repairs done. But under a new program, owners facing high costs for repairs can apply for an economic hardship waiver, which if granted, results in a one-time, one-year sticker that allows operation for up to a year.

The state is dropping emission testing of vehicles built before 1996, which account for about 15 percent of the 4.4 million inspections conducted each year, according to state estimates. Vehicles emitting smoke from tailpipes will be failed.

The program will also require model year vehicles starting in 1996 and newer passenger cars, trucks, SUVs, and newer medium-duty vehicles to undergo annual on-board diagnostic emissions testing, known as OBD. Those vehicles are equipped with systems that can be checked by being plugged directly into a computer.

The new website will be launched tomorrow with more details. It is www.mass.gov/vehiclecheck. Consumers with questions can also call the Massachusetts Vehicle Check Motorist Hot line (866-941-6277), toll free.

Parsons will collect $1.74 from each inspection, the state will collect $4.76, and station owners will be paid $22.50. About 4.4 million vehicles are inspected annually in the state. The cost of the testing equipment has dropped dramatically for service stations, which once had to pay $80,000 but will only be charged $3,000, said RMV spokeswoman Ann Dufresne.

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