Dubai: Having impounded 2,400 abandoned vehicles this year, Dubai Municipality has launched a month-long campaign to raise awareness about the menace of vehicles and equipment left neglected in public places.
The ‘My Vehicle’ campaign under the slogan, ‘Clean Vehicle ... Sustainable City’ aims to reduce the phenomenon of abandoned vehicles and equipment in public places in the city, in order to preserve the urban and aesthetic appearance in Dubai, the civic body said on Sunday.
Abdul Majeed Abdul Aziz Saifaie, director of Waste Management Department at Dubai Municipality, said that neglected vehicles disrupt traffic and distort the general appearance of the city, explaining the importance of community awareness in this regard.
“Therefore, the aim of this campaign is to raise the level of community awareness on the damages done by neglected vehicles, and promote the values of social responsibility and cooperation with the departments and authorities in the public and private sectors on maintaining the sustainability of the public appearance and beauty of public utilities,” he pointed out.
The campaign will run until the first of October and will include many activities, including the organisation of awareness exhibitions in cooperation with the Roads and Transport Authority in the vehicle registration centres (Tasjeel Centres) in Al Qusais, Al Awir, Warsan and Al Wasl centres in Al Jaddaf and Nadd Al Hamr. Awareness messages will also be disseminated via electronic screens at the vehicle inspection centers in the emirate, official newspapers and e-mails to all Dubai Government employees.
Also, awareness-raising visits will be organised for officials and workers of industrial workshops and garages in a number of areas such as Umm Ramool, Al Qusais, Jebel Ali and Port Saeed.
Process explained
The process of removing abandoned vehicles start by issuing a warning in the form of a sticker to be placed on the neglected vehicle for 15 days. In case of no response from the owner, the vehicle will be transferred to the municipality’s scrap yard, and later it will be sold by auction after six months if the owner does not recover it.
Cars left dirty can be fined Dh500 under the ‘My Vehicle’ campaign of the Waste Management Department of Dubai 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.”
