The technical inspection is no longer required when concluding an OSAGO contract

In accordance with the decision taken, the norm on the need for a technical inspection to obtain an OSAGO policy will be excluded from the law on road safety. Also, a number of corresponding amendments are introduced into the law on the OSAGO itself.

At the same time, as the Interfax agency reminds, in accordance with the provisions of the new law on technical inspection, from March 1, all diagnostic cards for cars began to be issued only in electronic form. By the decision of the government, those drivers who, by the time the law came into force, had a deadline for the inspection, received a deferral until October 1. The provisions on the conduct of technical inspection on public vehicles have fully entered into force, and the procedure for monitoring the conduct of the inspection operations themselves is entrusted to the traffic police.

Earlier, the regulator and lawmakers were asked to "break" the obligatory "link" - issuing an OSAGO policy and providing at that moment by the driver a diagnostic card confirming the timely passage of a technical inspection - the Russian Union of Auto Insurers (RSA) and the All-Russian Union of Insurers (ARIA). Their president, Igor Yurgens, said that "the technical inspection reform, like any other, at the first stage of implementation can be accompanied by difficulties. In any case, faced with difficulties in issuing diagnostic cards for one reason or another, drivers in addition should not receive problems associated with with the registration of OSAGO agreements. The law on OSAGO requires the availability of the purchase of compulsory policies for drivers, it qualifies leaving without an OSAGO policy on the road as an offense".

The head of the traffic police Mikhail Chernikov recently said that the owners of cars will soon be able to undergo a technical inspection on a voluntary basis, but the innovation will not affect cars involved in transportation, including taxis, trucks, as well as corporate vehicles.

In an interview with Sputnik radio, an auto expert and member of the jury of the World Car of the Year competition from Russia, Vladimir Solovyov, said that the decision to abolish the mandatory technical inspection is a step from corruption towards the interests of motorists:

"This is a positive step. The State Duma has taken a step towards the interests of motorists. Previously, it was not very clear how to pass the technical inspection because of technical issues, so there was a lot of corruption. Someone could just pay money and get a MOT. I was always more interested in the possibility of increasing the responsibility of service stations. When a person does repairs to a car, there is a list of the work done, such as checking the brakes, steering and key elements. The fact of carrying out these works at specialized stations, in theory, should replace all checks".