For three decades, the Malaysian Computerized Vehicle Inspection Centre (Puspakom) monopolised the automotive inspection service industry.

Now, more than ten companies have applied for vehicle inspection licenses, ending Puspakom’s concessionaire status.

According to a report by The Star, Transport Minister Anthony Loke hopes the new operators can begin operations by the end of 2025, and said that the numbers have not been finalised yet.

Photo for illustration purposes only.

“There are about more than ten companies who have applied for the licence, but the actual number of companies that are given the licence will be announced later,” he said.

He added that the move would make the market more competitive, with the presence of new operators.

Loke announced in March 2023 that Puspakom would no longer be the exclusive provider of scheduled vehicle inspections for the Road Transport Department (JPJ) from 1 September, 2024.

What does this mean for consumers?

For one, more competition equals to better products and Puspakom has addressed on how they plan to deal with industry rivals through technological advancements.

For instance, one of the major steps they will be taking is moving towards AI deployment in their inspection process to differentiate themselves from competitors.

According to a report by The Malaysian Reserve, Puspakom is introducing AI technology in its undercarriage inspections this month, making them the first company in Malaysia’s vehicle inspection industry to do so.

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AI integration will improve efficiency and reduce wait times over manual inspections. (Photo for illustration purpose only)

Puspakom CEO Mahmood Razak Bahman explained that an undercarriage inspection typically takes 10 to 11 minutes to complete.

“However, with the integration of AI, this process will be dramatically shortened to just one minute, a 90% improvement in time efficiency.

“This substantial reduction in inspection time is expected to significantly enhance Puspakom’s overall operational efficiency and custome experience,” he said.

Aside from undercarriage inspections, Puspakom is also developing AI technology for above carriage inspections on parts such as safety signs, reflectors, licence plates, and other external features that are otherwise checked manually.

The introduction of these AI processes will further streamline inspections and reduce wait times for customers.

With this technology already being developed by Puspakom, there’s no doubt other companies will follow suit and consumers will have more choices on where they would like to have their vehicles inspected.






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