Asif Iqbal
Doha
The annual fee for technical inspections of vehicles by Fahes for registration will increase by 100 percent from July 1, an official has said.
"Starting July 1, the fees for inspection of private car will double to QR150 from the current QR75. The increase of the registration fee was already made through Twitter and on the website as well," the official, who was not authorised to speak to the media, told Qatar Tribune.
He said the decision to increase the fee has been taken to cover the huge cost incurred on building state-of-the-art facilities at all Fahes inspection centres.
He said all the centres have a minimum of three to four lanes for inspection which adds to the cost for the company as it requires more manpower, electricity and other infrastructure.
According to the official, the high cost involved in running the inspection centres along with other overhead costs could be the most likely reason for increasing the inspection fee.
He said earlier inspections were carried out in open spaces and there were hardly any facilities for drivers who had to wait long hours in the sun to get their cars inspected.
"Ever since vehicle inspections started at Woqod, things have become very different. The company has invested a lot in inspection centres by increasing the number of lanes for inspection, offering insurance facilities and one can even renew their registration (istaimara). So, if all these facilities are offered, I think it is fair to increase the price," the official added.
Reacting to the announcement of increase in fee by Fahes, Sujith Kumar, Sales Manager of a mobile telephone distribution company, said,"The hike is too much. We have 15 vehicles in our sales department and this will put additional burden on our operations."
He said Fahes could have increased the fee gradually.