Redbook Inspections for commercial passenger vehicles

The commercial passenger vehicle industry knows that the RedBook inspection makes a mockery of VicRoads’s roadworthy standards. So I ask the minister to take immediate action and stop the regulator undermining the government’s road safety initiatives and VicRoads’ standards on licensed roadworthiness certificates.

Mr BARTON (Eastern Metropolitan) (17:06): The matter I raise tonight is for Minister for Public Transport, Melissa Horne. In early June I raised industry concerns over the different standards between the service RedBook Inspect, which is approved by Commercial Passenger Vehicles Victoria, and the roadworthiness certificate issued by a VicRoads-licensed vehicle tester. At the time I was assured by her office that there are not two standards. However, the industry does not agree, nor do I. During the winter break a little covert operation was done, and a vehicle was taken to both RedBook and a licensed vehicle inspector.

RedBook went first. The vehicle obtained a fail from RedBook inspectors. The reason: the front numberplate was not visible because of the position of the middle driving light. We were invited to return within 14 days with the problem rectified to receive a certificate. The same vehicle was then sent to a VicRoads-licensed vehicle tester in Mount Waverley. The vehicle failed because of faulty front brakes, needing new brake pads and also needing someone to remove and replace the disc rotors, replace the wiper blades and fix the driving light obstructing the front numberplate.

RedBook could not have detected any of these issues with the brakes. Its visual inspection did not involve putting the car on a hoist to have a look or removing any wheels, nor did it include taking the vehicle for a road test. The commercial passenger vehicle industry knows that the RedBook inspection makes a mockery of VicRoads’s roadworthy standards. So I ask the minister to take immediate action and stop the regulator undermining the government’s road safety initiatives and VicRoads’ standards on licensed roadworthiness certificates.