SAPS clamping down on illegal street mechanics

Johannesburg Metro Police officers recently confiscated and impounded tools and vehicle parts from an illegal street mechanic found fixing cars on the road in Berea in Gauteng.

This follows a series of clampdowns on street mechanics over the last couple of years. Dewald Ranft, Chairman of the Motor Industry Workshop Association (MIWA), a proud association of the Retail Motor Industry Organisation (RMI) says this talks to a growing culture of illegal regulatory non-compliance in the motor vehicle repair industry. Noncompliance not only creates an uneven playing field for many accredited workshop owners in the sector, but it also places consumers at risk. The law states that no person may repair any part of a vehicle or wash, dry or paint on any public road except in the case of an emergency.

South Africans are under huge pressure to save money and may be tempted to select the cheapest option without first checking the business carefully. The reality is that without the necessary registration and compliance, the consumer has virtually no recourse from a business if things go wrong. “There is no assurance about the quality of the technicians working on the cars, the type of parts being used; the quality of the diagnostic equipment or the environmental practices being followed,” he says.

Without answering to any regulatory requirements, these illegal workshops can produce substandard work that ultimately impacts road safety. Accreditation and compliance is the consumer’s guarantee that the job will be done correctly and according to stringent industry standards.

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