UAE’s first Modified Vehicle Inspection Center to open at Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi on 8 August 2017. So if you like to modify your car, SUV or motorcycle…or already have a modified vehicle, this is the place to legalize them, if they meet the regulations ofcourse!
The launch implements UAE Cabinet decision No. 45 of 2016, in regards to the safety requirements of modified vehicles, passed by Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology (ESMA), Conformity Affairs Department and in collaboration with the Automobile and Touring Club of the UAE (ATCUAE) and Abu Dhabi Motorsport Management (ADMM) which established this point of service that caters not just to motor sports but extends to all road users.
Prior to this decision, there was no government body or authority for vehicles owners to verify the safety of their modifications, potentially endangering not only the drivers but everyone sharing the roads. The Modified Vehicle Inspection Center will ensure that all regulations and safety standard are met under the new decision and it will be handling not only newly modified vehicles, but also all of those that have been modified in the past without verification, including automobiles, motorcycles, trailers, caravans and tractors.
Beyond performance or aesthetic enhancing modifications, there are practical reasons for modifications as well. For example, for desert goers, certain functional enhancements enable ease of use through desert conditions and terrains.
“This center gives and opportunity for those who are inadvertently breaking the law to become legal,” commented Mohammed Ben Sulayem, President, ATCUAE. “It gives a chance to legalize modified vehicles and ensure compliance across the board.”
This decision aims to protect consumers from unsafe vehicle modifications as well as to reduce accidents related to non-compliant vehicles. It also serves to educate the population of financial and environmental costs and impacts of non-compliant vehicles. The implementation began on 1 June 2017 and “should be open to the public in the next couple of months” according to their PR team.
