The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has issued fresh guidance on the rollout of its mandatory vehicle inspection regulations, instructing traffic police not to enforce the inspection requirement against private vehicle owners during roadside checks as the government gradually implements the new rules.
In a statement released on Sunday, June 28, the Authority further announced that operators of school transport and commercial service vehicles would not face penalties for failing to meet certain newly introduced requirements until further notice.
The clarification follows last week's announcement that all vehicles older than four years would be subject to annual inspections starting July 1, a move that triggered confusion among motorists over how the regulations would be enforced.
NTSA explained that private motorists should not be required to produce proof of mandatory inspection during routine roadside inspections by traffic officers.
The Authority noted that it will communicate the timelines for the full implementation and enforcement of the affected regulations at a later date.
"Further to the Notice issued by the Authority regarding inspection of various categories of motor vehicles, we assure the public as follows: During route checks, traffic officers shall not enforce the mandatory inspection requirement on private motor vehicle owners," NTSA stated.
According to the Authority, the clarification is consistent with the government's phased implementation plan, under which some provisions will only take effect once the necessary operational framework has been established.
School transport operators were also granted temporary relief, with NTSA confirming they will not be penalised for failing to comply with Rule 13 of the Traffic (School Transport) Rules, 2026, which requires the installation of reflectorised red stop mechanical signal arms, or Rule 14, which mandates telematic systems.
"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.
Commercial service vehicle operators have similarly been exempted from penalties for failing to comply with the telematic system requirement under Regulation 9(d) of the NTSA (Operations of Commercial Vehicles) Regulations, 2026.
"Commercial service vehicle operators shall not be penalised for non-compliance with paragraph d (Telematic system) - Regulation 9 of the NTSA (Operations of Commercial Vehicles) Regulations, 2026," NTSA added.
A telematic system is an electronic device that tracks a vehicle's location, speed and driver behaviour in real time.
The technology is designed to improve road safety by enabling regulators to monitor vehicle operations and strengthen compliance with traffic laws.
NTSA also warned motorists against relying on false or misleading information circulating online regarding the inspection programme, urging members of the public to rely only on official communication channels for updates.
The Authority reiterated that further details on the implementation and enforcement of the affected regulations would be announced in due course.
