The Romanian Auto Registry (RAR) plans to propose a yearly technical inspection for cars that are older than 12 years in order to increase traffic safety, RAR director George Dincă told Capital. At present, the technical vehicle inspection (ITP) needs to be performed every two years regardless of the car's age.

“The Romanian Auto Registry plans to propose, as a measure to increase traffic safety, and in the current context of the evolution of the national car park, the increase of the frequency of the ITP inspections for cars that are older than 12 years, from two years, as it is presently required, to one year,” Dincă told Capital.

The RAR director added that after the environment tax was canceled, at the beginning of February, Romania saw a significant increase in the number of used cars registered, as expected. People who buy used cars from abroad and want to register them in Romania need to get an authentication certificate from RAR.

In January 2017, RAR received authentication requests for 38,000 vehicles, a 12% increase compared to the 2016 monthly average of 34,000 vehicles. In February, some 54,000 vehicles were brought to RAR for authentication and, in March, the number reached 61,000.

The auto registry's data also show that the average age of cars inspected in the first quarter of 2017 went up to 10.5 years, from 8.7 years in the first quarter of 2016.

RAR also found that the number of vehicles manufactured before 2000, and complying at most with the Euro 2 pollution norms, that were registered in Romania in the first quarter of this year went up by 107% compared to the same period of last year. The number of cars manufactured between 2001 and 2005, and complying with Euro 3 norms, increased by 57%, while the number of cars manufactured between 2006 and 2010, and complying with Euro 4 norms increased by 69%. The number of cars manufactured after 2011, and complying with Euro 5 and Euro 6 norms, went up by only 15%.

This is a direct consequence of the Parliament's decision to remove the environment tax. The tax, which was introduced in 2008, varied depending of the car age and pollution standards and discouraged the registration of Euro 2, Euro 3, and Euro 4 cars. Thus, many Romanians went to Bulgaria to register their cars.

The Government is currently analyzing a new environment stamp to be paid by people using their cars in the cities.

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editor@romania-insider.com