Once again, information has reached our newsroom that another municipal vehicle has been seen on the road with an expired ITV sticker since last January. Back in February we publicly reported a similar case involving one of the municipal buses, and Manilva Town Hall itself responded by discrediting this outlet for publishing the story, offering unfounded excuses about delays caused by the state of alarm that did not hold up in any way, and without admitting the «oversight».
Now we have found another municipal vehicle that is being driven with a failed ITV, specifically a lorry, the one assigned to collecting household items and reinforcing the cleaning service, which picks up the appliances and bulky objects that many people continue to leave by the bins despite the opening of the Centro Limpio (recycling centre) at the Polígono Industrial.
We insist: when a vehicle fails the inspection because of serious defects and the result is unfavourable, it is only authorised to travel between the ITV station and the garage. If the result is negative, it must be taken to the garage on a tow truck. Even supposing the defect had been fixed, the only way to verify that it has actually been repaired is by putting the vehicle through a new inspection. Therefore, it would not be authorised to be on the road. No exceptions are foreseen in this case, whether for the state of alarm, extensions or anything else.
To be specific, this municipal vehicle should have passed the ITV in January of this year, and it was not until 29 April (three months late) that it was inspected, with an unfavourable result. It therefore has until 29 June to pass the inspection again, but under no circumstances may it be driven as it is currently being driven.
Apart from the problems this could cause with any insurance policy in the event of an accident, this vehicle could be fined by the competent authorities simply for being parked on the public highway; a penalty that would fall on its owner, in this case the Town Hall, and so this latest oversight could mean an extra cost in public money because of poor management.
LACK OF CONTROL IN THE MANAGEMENT OF THE MUNICIPAL FLEET?
It is not normal for the administration itself, the very body that demands compliance with all obligations, to have several lapses in the management of the municipal vehicle fleet in such a short space of time. It is true that there are delays in getting appointments for the ITV (normality has still not been fully recovered), but any company running a small fleet of vehicles is surely aware of this and books appointments much further in advance than before the state of alarm.
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