Maputo — The vehicle inspection centre in the southern Mozambican city of Matola has claimed that it can inspect 300 vehicles a day, reports Monday's issue of the Maputo daily "Noticias".

Assuming the same capacity in the centre at Zimpeto, in Maputo city, then even working seven days a week, the maximum number of vehicles that can be inspected in Maputo city and province in six months - the period decreed by the government for all vehicles to be inspected - is 108,000.

Joao Oliveira, head of the Matola centre, which is run by the private company Control Gold, said that currently seven inspectors are checking the vehicles, but in the next few days they will be joined by a further ten.

Since the vehicle inspections began, on 1 February, the most common problem, said Oliveira, concerns the alignment of the steering. Owners of vehicles with this problem are given 30 days to fix it, after which the police are authorised to seize the vehicle.

The cost for light vehicles and motor-cycles, according to Oliveira is 600 meticais plus Value Added Tax at 17 per cent - so the real cost is 702 meticais (25.5 US dollars). For heavy vehicles the cost is 1,053 meticais.

Vehicles that pass the inspection receive a sticker that must be displayed on the windscreen. After the end of the six month period, the police are authorised to apprehend any vehicle which has not been inspected, and it will not be possible for owners of uninspected vehicles to sell them.