Suwailim, Director General of the Traffic Department in the Eastern Province, said the department is acquiring mobile testing equipment that will reduce crowding at the Dammam motor vehicle periodic inspection (MVPI) test station and increase convenience for people who live in areas without test stations. Al-Suwailim said that because the number of stations is limited, some people are forced to drive hundreds of kilometers for an inspection. He said that for some time, the MVPI station in Dammam has faced severe overcrowding due to motorists coming from the governorates of Jubail, Al-Ne'airiah, Abqaiq, Al-Qateef, Khobar and Dhahran, all of which lack test stations. Vehicle inspection is mandated by the government to ensure that all vehicles conform to regulations governing safety, emissions, or both. Inspection can be required at various times, e.g., periodically or on transfer of title to a vehicle.
