250 abandoned cars removed each month

Published Monday, October 31, 2011

By Mohammed Al Sadafy

Dubai Municipality removes about 240 to 250 abandoned cars per month, according to an official source at the Department of Specialised Hygiene of the Waste Department of the municipality.

“Owners are warned not to leave their cars for long durations. 120 inspectors of the street cleaners of Dubai issue warnings to the owners of these cars to move their vehicles within a maximum of two weeks,” the source said. “If they don’t, the municipality removes these cars and impounds them at the scrap yard for a period of six months.”

“The owners can get back their impounded cars after paying the fines. Otherwise, the municipality will sell the cars as scrap at a public auction to be announced in the newspapers,” he said.

Yaqoub Al Ali, head of specialised hygiene, said, “Some people spoil Dubai’s landscape by leaving their cars for long periods within the city for emergency travel or because of financial and security problems. The department treats these cars as junk and starts legal procedures."

He added these measures are in accordance with Local Order No. 11 of 2003 issued by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, chairman of Dubai Municipality, which gives the municipality the power to remove any vehicle or equipment abandoned on the streets and in public places.

He added: “The local order gives the municipality the right to confiscate the neglected vehicle 15 days after issuing a warning and move it to the scrap yard.

Two other government departments, the Dubai Traffic Police and the RTA, co-operate with the municipality in this matter.

Major General Mohammed Saif Al Zaffin, director of Dubai Traffic Police, said “DTP focuses on cars on the road in accident cases and the RTA co-operates with DTP if trucks break down on the road and affect the movement of vehicles.

He said, “The police also intervenes in cases of suspicious abandoned cars and moves them to the outskirts of the city. In such cases, the police may have got a tip that the car is stolen or may have been used in a crime.”

But if a car has been abandoned for a long time and has dust and mud on it, it becomes the responsibility of the municipality to deal with it.

He also said, “Everyone is responsible for reporting abandoned cars and anyone who sees cars neglected for a long time should report it to the police. In a normal case, the police will inform the municipality whereas the police will investigate the car in a suspicious case.

Adel Al Marzouqi, head of prepaid parking department at RTA, said, “Dubai Municipality has a place to store cars abandoned for a long time.

Dubai Traffic Police has another place to keep cars violating rules. RTA concentrates on tracking trucks abandoned on the outskirts of the city such as Al Khail Road and Dubai Bypass.”