Abu Dhabi: At least 12 notices were issued to cafés in the capital’s Baniyas suburb for violating municipal regulations, the Municipality of Abu Dhabi City announced in a statement sent on Tuesday.

The cafés had been used for unlicensed purposes in some instances, or had become an eyesore because of the manner in which they had set up their furniture and materials.

Since May 2015, the Municipality has conducted regular checks on the activities of cafés. When a violation is detected, cafés must present their valid commercial licenses. Failure to do so results in a Dh20,000 fine, but a discount of 50 per cent can become applicable if the violator seeks to pay the amount promptly.