UAE modified cars inspection centre opens in Yas Marina, Abu Dhabi

The Yas Marina Circuit will be the location for what is being billed the first inspection centre for modified vehicles in the UAE, as it was officially launched in a signing ceremony held yesterday.

The new centre was created to address legislation passed last year by the UAE Cabinet on the safety requirements for modified vehicles.

The parties involved in the centre include the UAE Ministry of Interior, Yas Marina Circuit, Automobile and Touring Club UAE (ATCUAE) and the Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology (ESMA).

Inspections will be offered for all types of modified vehicles, including cars, offroaders and motorcycles. The vehicles will receive an official ESMA certificate stating their roadworthiness after they have been inspected.

It is unclear at this point what the costs will be other than it will start at Dhs 400, whether the Dubai RTA will accept the certificate during their own annual registration inspections, and if the certificate will have to be renewed on a regular basis. Fines for modified cars are said to be Dhs 30,000, and there are limits to how much a car can be modified.

Until now, garages were freely modifying any car based on customer requests, with annual registration being a question mark, and many owners resorting to subterfuge to get their cars passed while openly appearing at sanctioned auto shows.