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Road Transport (Public Passenger Services) Act 2001
118Power to inspect and test vehicles
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118 Power to inspect and test vehicles
(1) A police officer or authorised person may inspect a public passenger
vehicle, or any other vehicle that the police officer or authorised
person believes, on reasonable grounds, is operating, or has operated,
as a public passenger vehicle, and may inspect and test its equipment
and fittings.
Note The dictionary definition of inspect a vehicle includes observe the
performance of the vehicle or any of its equipment, with or without the
use of instruments.
(2) Without limiting subsection (1), the police officer or authorised
person may, for that subsection, do 1 or more of the following:
(a) if the vehicle is being driven—ask or signal the driver of the
vehicle to stop the vehicle;
(b) get into or onto the vehicle and remain in or on the vehicle;
(c) operate the vehicle and any of its equipment;
(d) ask the driver or anyone else apparently in charge of the vehicle
to—
(i) give the police officer or authorised person any
information the police officer or authorised person
reasonably requires to inspect or test the vehicle; or
(ii) do anything else the police officer or authorised person
reasonably requires to inspect or test the vehicle.
(3) If a vehicle is stopped because of a request or signal under
subsection (2) (a), any inspection or testing of the vehicle must be
carried out—
(a) at, or as near as practicable to, the place where the request or
signal is made or given; and
(b) as soon as practicable, and in any case within 1 hour, after the
vehicle is stopped.
(4) A person commits an offence if the person fails to comply with a
request or signal made or given by a police officer or authorised
person under this section.