• The Vehicle Inspectorate this week started an urgent review
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of security at its 91 test stations. The review will consider Commercial Motor's recent suggestion of establishing a register of stolen test certificates that could be published and made available for public inspection (CM 28 October-3 November].
The number of stolen test certificates has risen dramatically over recent years. LGV figures for January to October have risen by 31% on 1992's figures (see box right).
There are fears that the black market in stolen certificates could be worth as much as £6 billion annually. Stolen truck test certificates can be bought for as much as £1,000, those for cars cost between £15 and £50.
The sharp fall in numbers stolen in 1988 is largely due to an increase in security that year and figures rose dramatically in 1991 and 1992 because the design of the certificate was altered rendering any stolen certificates invalid and easily detectable.