Police warn that 2o-year-old cars will be confiscated

Abu Dhabi: Police will strictly enforce new norms to do away with motor vehicles that are more than 20 years old and will confiscate vehicles found flouting the rules, officials said in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.

The announcement follows the decision of the authorities to begin phasing out old cars from December 1, with the aim of easing traffic congestion and reducing vehicular pollution.

"Vehicles found flouting the regulations will face confiscation," Colonel Hamad Adil Al Shamsi, director of the Traffic and Patrols Department at Abu Dhabi Police, said in a statement.

Noting that over 30 per cent of accidents were caused by old cars that lacked standard safety features available on newer models, Al Shamsi said the decision to ban old cars, besides improving safety standards, would also have a positive effect on the traffic situation in the city.

Onus on the owner

Old cars can be scrapped or shipped out of the country but the onus is on the owner of the vehicle to find a suitable solution, he said.

With the implementation of the decision, over 68,000 cars would be taken off the city's roads by the end of 2009, according to Colonel Gaith Al Za'abi, head of the traffic department at the Ministry of Interior.

As the phasing out continues, approximately 200,000 cars will be banned in 2010 with the authorities renewing registration of only cars less than 15 years old, Al Za'abi said.

Vehicles which are 20 years or older as of December 1, cannot have their registration renewed as per the new rules. However, if the registration of such a car expires before December 1, it will be renewed for one more year.

Taxis older than five years apart, import of light vehicles older than five years and heavy vehicles older than seven years will be banned. Classic and antique cars have been exempted from this rule.

Import of light vehicles older than five years and heavy vehicles older than seven years will also be banned.