The Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI) has moved to professionalise and standardise car servicing in Ireland. SIMI Autosure Professional Register (APR) is similar in concept to the RECI scheme currently operated by electricians and will ensure that only qualified technicians are able to sign off servicing work carried out on cars.
"There has been a big increase in untrained and illegal operators at the fringes of our Industry offering to service cars. While it may seem like a bargain at the time, often the work carried out by such operators is to a poor standard, which could leave a car in dangerous condition and the owner out of pocket when something goes wrong with their car," says SIMI president Gerry Caffrey.
"Getting the SIMI APR sticker on your car will be a stamp of quality; an assurance that the car was maintained to the highest possible standard, by the highest qualified technicians in the Industry" says Mr Caffrey.
The announcement has been welcomed by the Road Safety Authority (RSA) with CEO of the organisation, Noel Brett, urging people "to get their car serviced to the high standard set out in this initiative, which will ensure that if any problems are developing in your car, they can be detected and fixed before they become a serious problem."
Under the SIMI APR scheme, the customer will receive an information leaflet after the service has been carried out explaining the specific work carried out on their vehicle. Motorists should look out for the SIMI APR logo when they go to get their next service.