PUSPAKOM expands GEAR to 26 inspection centres after pilot reaches 98.8% booking rate
Motorists looking for an earlier PUSPAKOM vehicle inspection appointment will soon have more locations to choose from.
PUSPAKOM is expanding its GiCheck Early Access Reservation (GEAR) service in phases throughout August, bringing the early inspection booking option to 26 designated inspection centres.
Less than three weeks after the pilot was introduced, GEAR recorded a 98.8% booking rate and a 93.7% customer turn-up rate. The average inspection time during the pilot was around 33 minutes per vehicle.
GEAR does not replace the existing standard GiCheck booking system. PUSPAKOM says regular booking slots will remain available, with GEAR providing an additional option for customers who want to secure an earlier inspection appointment.
Why is PUSPAKOM expanding GEAR so quickly?
The near-full booking rate during the pilot, together with a customer turn-up rate of more than 90%, suggests there is strong demand for earlier inspection appointments.
PUSPAKOM also recorded an average inspection time of around 33 minutes per vehicle during the pilot while operations remained stable, giving the company confidence to expand the service further.
However, the 33-minute figure is an average recorded during the pilot. It should not be interpreted as a guarantee that every vehicle inspection will be completed within 33 minutes.
Rollout takes place in two phases this August
The GEAR expansion is being carried out in two phases.
The first phase began in the second week of August and covers 11 branches in the Central and Southern regions:
- Padang Jawa
- Cheras
- Pandan Mewah
- Banting
- Bangi
- Seremban
- Alor Gajah
- Muar
- Kluang
- Johor Bahru
- Senai
The second phase is scheduled for the fourth week of August, extending GEAR to another 12 branches in the Northern and East Coast regions, as well as Sabah and Sarawak:
- Alor Setar
- Sg Petani
- Teluk Kumbar
- Mak Mandin
- Ipoh
- Gopeng
- Taiping
- Kota Bharu
- Kuala Terengganu
- Kuantan
- Kota Samarahan
- Kota Kinabalu
The two expansion phases list 23 additional branches. PUSPAKOM says GEAR will ultimately be available at 26 designated inspection centres once the rollout is completed, although the release does not provide the names of the remaining three original pilot locations.
GEAR does not replace standard PUSPAKOM bookings
For motorists, the most important point is that GEAR does not replace PUSPAKOM's existing booking system.
Customers can continue using standard GiCheck appointment slots. GEAR simply provides another option for motorists who want to obtain an earlier inspection date when slots are available.
PUSPAKOM describes GEAR as a premium booking service, but the material provided with this announcement does not state the applicable fee. We therefore cannot determine the additional cost of using GEAR based on this release alone.
The 26 GEAR centres are not PUSPAKOM's entire network
There is also an important distinction surrounding the figure of 26 inspection centres.
The number refers to the designated inspection centres covered by GEAR after the rollout is completed. It does not represent the total number of PUSPAKOM inspection centres operating across Malaysia.
The corporate background included in the same PUSPAKOM release states that the company currently operates 53 inspection centres nationwide, along with another 30 Visit Sites serving rural and remote areas.
The more accurate interpretation is therefore that GEAR is being expanded from its initial pilot to 26 selected inspection centres within PUSPAKOM's wider national network.
What does this mean for motorists?
PUSPAKOM inspections are tied to a range of vehicle-related procedures, including vehicle ownership transfers, periodic commercial vehicle inspections and other processes that may need to be completed within a particular timeframe.
GEAR does not change the inspection standard itself. Its main benefit is greater flexibility in securing an appointment.
For motorists or fleet operators who need an inspection sooner, access to an earlier appointment could reduce delays to subsequent vehicle-related procedures.
Those who do not require an earlier appointment can continue using the normal GiCheck booking slots.
The more interesting aspect of GEAR is not simply that PUSPAKOM has introduced another booking option, but that appointment timing itself is becoming a service choice. A 98.8% pilot booking rate shows that there is genuine demand for earlier inspection slots. The key will be ensuring that standard appointments remain sufficiently available so that convenience does not gradually become something motorists feel forced to pay for. It will also be worth watching whether GEAR can maintain the efficiency seen during the pilot once the service is expanded, and how its eventual pricing compares with the benefit of securing an earlier appointment.
Comments
Post a Comment