The Transport Department is tightening inspection rules for vehicles to ensure road safety.

Beginning this week, officials will suspend vehicle registrations for cars deemed to be dangerous, such as, for example, those with a brake fluid leak.

The department said cars found to have serious defects would have to be towed away from government vehicle examination centres where they were undergoing inspections for fixing and drivers would get their registrations back again only after they passed a second inspection, which has to be carried out at the government's vehicle examination complex in Tsing Yi.

An honorary life president of the Automobile Association, Ringo Lee, said previously drivers could get their vehicles fixed and the inspection carried out on the same day without having to schedule a second inspection again.

Now that the government wants inspections to be carried out at its vehicle examination complex in Tsing Yi instead of at centres across different districts, he said, that implies that drivers will not be able to get their registrations back on the same day.

"Temporarily suspending registrations and stopping vehicles from hitting the roads offer maximum protection for road safety," Lee told RTHK.

"Of course we understand it causes inconvenience to car owners. But as far as road safety is concerned, we think it's reasonable to keep cars that are deemed dangerous off the roads."

Lee noted that the cost for an inspection to be carried out at the Tsing Yi complex is now HK$585, compared to the HK$180 charged in the past.

He called on the government to consider reverting to the previous fee to ease the burden on car owners.