Technical control has so far been a formality for Nicolas Mirroir. On October 16, this resident of Rabastens, in Tarn, however, had a very bad surprise when he again submitted the Renault Kangoo bought used in 2011.
A vehicle specially fitted out with an access ramp and straps to allow his 74 year old mother, disabled and living in the Hauts-de-Seine, to go to the South West. “She has been hemiplegic, deaf and mute for over 40 years, explains Nicolas Mirroir. My mother has an electric chair weighing more than 200 kg and she comes with my father to visit us about four times a year. "
The technical inspection report mentions a "modification requiring compliance with the data in the identification document". Clearly, "I was told that my registration card should mention that it was a vehicle for the disabled," says the Tarnais, 50, who told of his misadventures on Facebook in a publication shared more than 38,000 times since Tuesday evening.
A far from isolated situation
Since a ministerial decree dated August 23, 2013 and entered into force the following year, vehicles fitted out to be accessible to people with reduced mobility must meet a new series of standards. Cars which entered into circulation before July 2014 are considered to comply with a good part of these technical prescriptions provided that it is specified on the gray card that it is a “HANDICAP” bodywork. These precious letters are missing on the certificate of Kangoo by Nicolas Mirroir.
This case is far from isolated, as William Renault, president of the Tarn Collective Handicap, points out. "Many developers did not label their vehicles before 2013," he explains. “And until recently, this type of modification posed no problem for technical control. This point is part of the changes brought about by the new technical control formula since 2018.
For Nicolas Mirroir, changing the gray card turns out to be much easier said than done. It even turns into an administrative headache. He first turned to Dreal (Regional Directorate for the Environment, Planning and Housing) to obtain approval for his vehicle. You still have to be able to provide a whole series of documents that he does not have in his possession. Contacted, Dreal had not yet responded to our requests this Tuesday afternoon.
"We are already struggling enough on a daily basis"
“When we bought this used car in 2011 at a Montpellier dealership, we were given nothing special. The previous owner did not have these documents either, "continues the 50-year-old. He then contacts the company that modified the Kangoo 22 years ago. Again, this is the dead end: “They explained to us that they did not keep technical documents beyond ten years. "
The deadline for the cons-visit being exceeded, the Mirroirs are left with a car on their arms that they can neither drive nor sell. It is out of the question to ride while ignoring technical control. For financial reasons, he also does not plan to buy another car. "It would be a wreck, I would understand perfectly, but it is in very good condition and it has only 35,000 km on the odometer," sighs Nicolas. William Renault, for his part, advised him to get in touch with a company specializing in landscaping, who will then deal with the Dreal.
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In the meantime, Nicolas' mother cannot come to see her son in the Tarn, while outings are also rare for her in the Paris region. “Disability has been around for 45 years. We are already struggling enough on a daily basis and there is this little administrative thing that rots our lives a little more… ”