2,632 abandoned cars confiscated in Dubai

The number of abandoned cars confiscated by Dubai Municipality (DM) has increased 14 per cent in the past year from 2313 in 2009 to 2632 cars, according to Emarat Al Youm.

Abdul Majeed Sifaee, Director of waste department of the DM told the daily “The Dubai Municipality will replace the kind of notice that is currently used to warn the car owners with another kind which can be stuck on the car’s windshield and hence difficult to remove.” The move comes in the wake of repeated complaints from owners of abandoned cars.

He added that the DM monitors suspected abandoned cars for 15 days before any action is taken to check if they are truly abandoned. After that the DM puts a notice on the car for 15 days for the owners to respond or face legal action. After the deadline is over, if there is a plate number the DM checks with the police authorities - if they want to confiscate and if not the utility firm removes it from the public street.

Cars confiscated by Dubai Municipality are taken to the scrap yard in Al Qusais, where they are kept for six months. If the owner fails to claim the car within this period, the municipality auctions the car.

In 2010, 778 cars were claimed by owners while 923 cars were claimed in 2009, said Sifaee.

Car owners have to pay around Dh700 to get their vehicles released. In 2010, the Dubai Municipality collected Dh545,000 in fines, and in 2009 a total of Dh646,000 was collected.