~ ThE BrUnEi TiMeS ~
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Customising cars: A visitor checking out the car modifications at a car and audio show. The Land Transport Department is currently formulating guidelines on modifying cars.
THE Department of Land Transport is in the process of formulating a general guideline on the limits of car modifications in Brunei.
The department's Chief Licensing Officer Ali Hj Matusin said that the guidelines, once released, would be able to educate both the public and department on what is allowed and what should be avoided when dealing with alterations of their vehicles.
"At the moment, there is no such guidelines yet and we are unsure when it will be completed," he told The Brunei Times.
"It is not an easy process but we will be introducing it," he added.
Ali said that such guidelines are necessary because every country has different rules and regulations in regards to what is allowed in car modifications.
"Right now, any addition made to a vehicle without consent of the Land Transport Department, is considered an illegal modification," he said.
The chief licensing officer said that any cars that have been altered will have to be brought in for inspection at the Land Transport Department, with a "manufacturer's recommendation", before it can be endorsed by the department.
"If it meets the safety requirements and is endorsed by the manufacturer, then we will allow the modification and endorse it on the blue card," he said, adding that this applies to external appearance modifications such as body kits.
Third party rims will have to undergo technical inspection at the department to ensure they are balanced and of proper size and weight.
However, modification of vehicle lighting systems is different as one is not allowed to change the colour and power of their vehicles' lights.
"Sometimes, the changed bulbs might be too bright and of a different colour which can confuse and be of nuisance to other drivers on the road," he said.
Ali also used the opportunity to clear up misconceptions on the tinting of windows.
He said that tinted windows are allowed in the Sultanate as long as it allows 70 per cent of the light to pass through and is supported by test reports from the British or Japanese Institute of Standards. "Anything more is illegal," he said.
The chief licensing officer added that modifications which can affect the safety and integrity of the car, such as increasing the power of the engine or lowering of car suspensions, is strictly prohibited in the country.
He said that cars sold in Brunei have been put through rigorous testing to ensure that the vehicles are properly set up and balanced. Any changes to such components of the car could compromise the safety of not only the driver but also passengers and other road users.
When asked why some car accessories shops are allowed to sell parts that is deemed illegal, Ali replied that the responsibility of equipping such parts fall on the vehicle's as well as the shopkeeper.
"A spoiler that is legal for a Porsche might not be legal if installed on a different car," he said.
"It is the same as buying a shoe in a store. They stock shoes of many different shapes and sizes but there is a specific one for your feet. It is the same when it comes to modifying your cars," he added.
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Customising cars: A visitor checking out the car modifications at a car and audio show. The Land Transport Department is currently formulating guidelines on modifying cars.THE Department of Land Transport is in the process of formulating a general guideline on the limits of car modifications in Brunei.
The department's Chief Licensing Officer Ali Hj Matusin said that the guidelines, once released, would be able to educate both the public and department on what is allowed and what should be avoided when dealing with alterations of their vehicles.
"At the moment, there is no such guidelines yet and we are unsure when it will be completed," he told The Brunei Times.
"It is not an easy process but we will be introducing it," he added.
Ali said that such guidelines are necessary because every country has different rules and regulations in regards to what is allowed in car modifications.
"Right now, any addition made to a vehicle without consent of the Land Transport Department, is considered an illegal modification," he said.
The chief licensing officer said that any cars that have been altered will have to be brought in for inspection at the Land Transport Department, with a "manufacturer's recommendation", before it can be endorsed by the department.
"If it meets the safety requirements and is endorsed by the manufacturer, then we will allow the modification and endorse it on the blue card," he said, adding that this applies to external appearance modifications such as body kits.
Third party rims will have to undergo technical inspection at the department to ensure they are balanced and of proper size and weight.
However, modification of vehicle lighting systems is different as one is not allowed to change the colour and power of their vehicles' lights.
"Sometimes, the changed bulbs might be too bright and of a different colour which can confuse and be of nuisance to other drivers on the road," he said.
Ali also used the opportunity to clear up misconceptions on the tinting of windows.
He said that tinted windows are allowed in the Sultanate as long as it allows 70 per cent of the light to pass through and is supported by test reports from the British or Japanese Institute of Standards. "Anything more is illegal," he said.
The chief licensing officer added that modifications which can affect the safety and integrity of the car, such as increasing the power of the engine or lowering of car suspensions, is strictly prohibited in the country.
He said that cars sold in Brunei have been put through rigorous testing to ensure that the vehicles are properly set up and balanced. Any changes to such components of the car could compromise the safety of not only the driver but also passengers and other road users.
When asked why some car accessories shops are allowed to sell parts that is deemed illegal, Ali replied that the responsibility of equipping such parts fall on the vehicle's as well as the shopkeeper.
"A spoiler that is legal for a Porsche might not be legal if installed on a different car," he said.
"It is the same as buying a shoe in a store. They stock shoes of many different shapes and sizes but there is a specific one for your feet. It is the same when it comes to modifying your cars," he added.
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