In the UK we have the MOT on any vehicle over 3 years old. Mechanical checks on brakes steering lights etc plus emission tests .

My mechanic used to set the engine up for the emission test in the MOT and then reset it to a more driveable setting afterwards.

Nick Mason

>Technical inspection in Bolivia:
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>Yesterday, I went with my sister and her husband, to visit cementeries, where family members had been burried, in neighboring towns.
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>At the place where the road toll is payed, I payd the usual fee. A policeman looked at the car, said something about technical inspection, and pointed to the side of the road. Uh-oh - I had forgotten about that. I thought I would now have to pay a fine, or perhaps something worse.
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>It turned out they had simply placed some policemen in strategical places, to make sure the largest amount possible of cars paid for their technical inspection.
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>So, I went to the line - they had a small table, out in the open - and waited briefly. When it was my turn, the man at the table asked for the license number of the car, the name of its owner, and the car's color. He quickly filled out the form, I paid Bs. 20 (2,50 US$), and got my sticker.
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>The "technical inspection" was over, and I could continue on my way. Quick and efficient!