Supercars or not, Dubai impounds over 2,000 abandoned vehicles

Dubai: Supercars or not, any vehicle left abandoned on Dubai's streets are impounded by Dubai Municipality.

The Waste Management Department of the municipality has impounded more than 2,000 vehicles abandoned by owners so far this year, the civic body has revealed to Gulf News.

A total of 2,053 abandoned vehicles were impounded till the end of July this year, while as many as 3,577 vehicles were confiscated in 2018.

Abandoned vehicles in Dubai were in the limelight again recently when a section of the UK media published a British company’s advertisement for a “supercar hunter” in the UAE.

The job of a ‘Supercar Scout’ listed by a north London company was to find out and acquire abandoned supercars in the UAE for resale on the company’s site.

However, local car dealers had dismissed the ad, which hit the headlines in British media as a “dream job” for luxury car lovers, as a publicity stunt.

It may remain a far-fetched dream as the job requirements may not meet the standard procedures adopted for abandoned cars here, car dealers in Dubai had told Gulf News.

Leaving or abandoning any vehicle or any equipment on the side of the road or any public place without moving it is an offence in the UAE.

Such vehicles hamper the general appearance of the place and often hinder the cleaning operations.

Abandoned cars are seen by the authorities as a potential breeding ground for stray animals and haven for criminal activities also.

Rules and fines

In its latest statement to Gulf News, Dubai Municipality said the abandoned vehicles and equipment are given notice and removed according to the Local Order No. 30 of 2007 and its executive regulations.

Cars left dirty can be fined Dh500 under the ‘My Vehicle’ campaign of the Waste Management Department of Dubai Municipality.

The civic body is also authorised to remove abandoned vehicles from streets, public parking lots and public spaces in Dubai.

Parked dirty vehicles are inspected and a notice for removing it is posted on them. Owners have to clean or clear the vehicles from that spot within 15 days.

If the vehicle is not removed within the specified notice period, it will be towed to the yard under the Contracts and Purchase Department of the municipality.

“Confiscated cars are kept in the yard for six months. If the owner claims the car in this time, he or she has to pay a fine of Dh1,381, including municipal fines, storage charges and towing fee,” a senior official had earlier told Gulf News.

“If it is not claimed within six months, the car will be auctioned.”

Residential communities

In 2017, the Waste Management Department included a number of residential areas also in implementing the rules about dirty cars with a campaign slogan “Clean Vehicle…Sustainable City”.

The department held a meeting with real estate developers, including Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority, Dubai Investment Group, TECOM, Dubai Properties Group and Meydan group, to remove abandoned vehicles from roadsides and public places where they damage the cultural and aesthetic appearance of the city.

“It was decided that Dubai Municipality will offer the service of removing abandoned vehicles, which are approved by these companies, according to their eligibility for removal. The legal responsibility for the removal will be on the developer company and not on Dubai Municipality,” Abdul Majeed Abdul Aziz Al Saifaie, director of the department had then said.

To report an abandoned car in a public space, members of the public can call the Dubai Municipality’s hotline 800 900.