Posted by finkployd in
Info
Monday, April 18. 2005
In a country where traffic lights are advisory and speed limits set the lower threshold, lego cars are not the best means of transportation.
With every other Lebanese a self-proclaimed rally driver, and the rest left-foot braking, the thought of corruption undermining structural integrity is not only absurd, but downright criminal. -finkployd
Coffins on wheels put public safety at risk
Racketeers sell imported wrecks after shoddy repairs
by Adnan El-Ghoul
Monday, April 18, 2005
Administrative corruption and the low purchasing power of many Lebanese have turned Lebanon into a scrap-yard for electrical appliances, car tires and used cars, all imported from richer Western countries. The fatal accident earlier this month that killed Tyre MP Ali Khalil, and in which his car split in halves, has highlighted the need for greater public awareness of the quality of some of the used cars traded in Lebanon.
The public reacted swiftly to the accident, many blaming car importers who bring severely damaged cars into the country and repair them, often unprofessionally, to look like new.
Traders and importers can make large profits importing damaged cars cheaply from Germany, Belgium or Switzerland. But, due to a special customs agreement between Lebanon and the North American countries, most of these damaged cars come from the United States and Canada. -dailystar
Ahmed Hassan, a customs broker who follows up car import formalities on behalf of Lebanese traders, said: "The customs duties paid on American cars cost half as much as those coming from Europe."
In used-car showrooms across Lebanon, customers can find luxury cars often in immaculate condition but without a record of their repair history, customary in most countries.
George Bou Assi, a showroom manager in Sin al-Fil, said: "I do not deal with damaged cars. But I know that wrecked cars are mostly restored locally by skilled professionals; however, some traders buy them restored from neighboring countries such as Turkey or Syria, where the work is of lesser quality."
A traffic accident investigator who asked to remain anonymous said he had personally examined tens of accidents involving previously damaged cars.
He added, "With Khalil being a public figure, the accident attracted special media coverage, raising questions about the nature of the accident and safety regulations in Lebanon."
The investigator said dealerships that import spare parts and damaged cars should not be confused with those regular traders of secondhand cars and spare parts.
Hassan said: "Today, state officials are keener to generate revenue than inspect the quality of imported items, especially those that require safety regulations. The importers bring the damaged cars into the country and pay the same customs duties as they pay for an immaculate car of the same year and make."
Lebanese importers are not encouraged to import restored cars directly from the country of origin because of the tough specifications enforced on reinstating damaged cars, let alone the high cost involved.
The Daily Star learned from several sources that importers could legally import destroyed cars even when the authorities in a car's country of origin had invalidated its license following its involvement in a serious accident.
When a car is involved in a serious accident in Europe and North America, the police tear up the registration documents, declaring the car unfit for road safety and beyond restoration.
Hassan said: "Despite the invalidation, local authorities issue a new license with a new chassis serial number without ensuring it meets the necessary safety requirements."
He added, "These regulations suit traders well but are clearly irresponsible and can lead to fatal accidents."
This information was confirmed when a Daily Star reporter contacted the Vehicle Registration Department (VRD) pretending to have recently replaced the front part of his car.
The accident investigator said protecting the consumers' rights in used car sales is the responsibility of the Mechanics Inspection Department, but that crucially the department does not inspect the framework.
This means that not only imported cars but also locally repaired ones are permitted on the road whether the welding of a car's frame has been done professionally or not.
Gaby Douiebis, who owns and manages a body shop in Sin al-Fil, said, "The frames of modern cars are more vulnerable than older cars."
He said only a car's manufacturer or an experienced bodywork professional is able to carry out such repairs, stressing that in any other event: "it would be too risky to drive them."
Douiebis usually receives cars that are only fit for the scrap yard.
He said, "I give my customers a work guarantee for 10 years; we know our profession very well. Instead of destroying the car, we restore it by replacing the damaged parts; sometimes we even replace a whole half section of a car."
He added: "Most customers choose to keep their cars and fix them up after an accident as few consumers can afford to buy comprehensive insurance policies. Even when they do, the car insurance companies do not compensate more than 60 percent of the car's market value." -dailystar
