Garages offering the technical vehicle inspection, or “contrôle technique” only accept vehicles whose validity certificates expire in the next two weeks Shutterstock

Garages offering the technical vehicle inspection, or “contrôle technique” only accept vehicles whose validity certificates expire in the next two weeks Shutterstock

Since 17 March, all garages offering the technical vehicle inspection, or “contrôle technique”, have only accepted vehicles whose validity certificates expire in the next two weeks. This measure, and other social distancing and hygiene precautions, were this week extended until 26 April.

In a press statement released on Wednesday, the ACL pointed out that many vehicle owners are not able to make the journey to testing centres because they have contracted coronavirus or are under self-isolation or quarantine measures. “This means that when the situation returns to normal, testing centres will be overrun with additional customers who will need emergency appointments since their vehicles will not be legal.”

The ACL proposed that for all vehicles due a test between now and 1 June, a six-month grace period be permitted to lighten the load for testing centres.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday car dealership federation Fedamo published a list of its members (in French and German) offering emergency vehicle repairs. In all instances, it urged vehicle owners to contact a trusted garage first, or their leasing company or roadside assistance firm where possible.