Imogen Calderwood
THE price of ITV inspections can vary by more than double across Spanish provinces, according to a consumer watchdog study.
The priciest region for a check-up is Castilla y Leon – clocking in at €55.72 for a diesel car – while Extremadura offers petrol and diesel ITVs for only €26.19.
The investigation – carried out by FACUA Consumers in Action – comes as Andalucia’s Economic Councillor, Jose Sanchez Maldonado, has cut ITV charges by up to 45% for cars under 1600cc and vehicles for the disabled.
Maldonado claims these rollbacks will result in €15 million in savings across Spain.
According to Sanchez, the high ITV prices not only put added pressure on car-owners in a time of recession, but the Junta discovered that car-owners were avoiding necessary inspections to postpone paying up.
Valencia has followed Andalucia’s lead and has implemented similar policies.
The regional set-up in Spain needs a total overhaul. In different parts of Spain no government institution does the same thing, uses the same procedure, or charges the same price. Even at a local level, within the same region, procedures are vastly different. Every person has found a different way of achieving the same thing, be it getting resedency, obtaining NIE numbers, registering a car, or paying tax. Spain almost thrives on this confusion.