For the past two years, since state legislators created a service gap between safety inspections and emissions testing, local experts have been sounding the alarm about what could be a wall of angry drivers during the rollout of the new program. Still, the number of service stations hasn’t reached the height of safety inspections, furthering those fears.
In just the past month, another 20 to 30 businesses have joined a growing list of shops certified by the state to conduct emissions inspections. That brings the total to just under 310 across Bexar County.
Some of these shops are car dealerships – not the obvious stop for most drivers seeking a quick inspection – and it’s still a far cry from the 650 registered sites in play when safety inspections were required…