AUGUSTA — The Legislature’s Transportation Committee has rejected a bill that would have done away with Maine’s requirement for a new motor vehicle inspection sticker each year.

The committee voted unanimously Thursday against the legislation, which would have removed the mandatory safety inspection for all vehicles registered in Maine.

The legislation was the culmination of five different proposals that would have curtailed or eliminated the program, which collects about $3.5 million a year in inspection fees for the state.

Supporters of the bill, L.D. 270, contended that vehicle safety should be the responsibility of individual motorists or vehicle owners, but they faced stiff opposition from others, including the Maine State Police, which administers and enforces the inspection program and said it was needed to maintain safe conditions for all motorists on Maine highways.

The program inspects about 1.3 million vehicles for safety flaws each year.

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