Dubai: Motorists whose vehicles have been due for registration for a long time face the risk of the vehicle being written off, the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has warned.
RTA has offered a grace period until the end of June to all the vehicles pending registration for more than three years to complete the process of getting the vehicle tested and renewing the registration, failing which the vehicle will be written off from the Unified Traffic System.
Once the vehicle is written off, driving it could risk confiscation and other penalties.
“First of all, a vehicle not registered for three years will not be allowed to be driven on the roads and if it is found on the road the owner will face stiff penalties as per the traffic law,” Mohammad Abdul Karim Nimat, Director of Vehicles Licensing at RTA, said.
The decision means those vehicles that have been due for registration for more than three years cannot be sold, transferred or exported.
However, if any motorist is willing to re-register the vehicle which is already written off, he has to go through the entire process of registering a new used vehicle.
“Vehicles written off can be re-registered. After paying all the financial dues on the vehicle and after passing the vehicle inspection test, the owner has to go through the whole procedure of a new used vehicle registration,” Nimat said.
He added that the decision is aimed at ensuring the safety of vehicles and other road users.
“It is extremely important to get the vehicles tested and registered every year to ensure the vehicles are safe and roadworthy, without which they are a danger to the road as well as having an environmental impact,” Nimat said.
He said that the grace period offers owners time to have their vehicles tested and get the registration renewed. Once the period is over the Licensing Agency will start removing vehicles whose registration expired three years ago or longer from the traffic system in early July.
Without revealing the exact number of vehicles that have registration pending, he said that the RTA’s decision will impact a sizeable number of motorists who don’t see it necessary to register their vehicles every year.
“Through this course of action, the RTA is targeting a sizeable number of reckless owners of vehicles who do not renew their vehicle’s registration. These individuals do not actually appreciate the importance of renewing vehicle registration, thus exposing themselves as well as others to danger. These vehicles become more susceptible to defects as they get older, with no maintenance carried outto keep them roadworthy,” he said.
He noted that vehicle testing and licensing is now possible in as many as 25 centres across the emirate operating 24 hours a day.
Smart apps and the RTA website can also be used to save time and effort taken to complete this procedure.
“RTA calls upon owners of vehicles whose registration had expired three years ago and more to immediately report to vehicle testing and licensing centres to renew their vehicles’ registration in order to ensure that they are safe and secure for themselves and others,” he said, urging motorists to abide by the rules.
