Rented Lamborghini clocks Dh170K speed fines in 4 hrs

DUBAI — A European tourist in Dubai got all the radars on the Sheikh Zayed Road to flash as he zoomed on the highway in a rented Lamborghini. He racked up Dh170,000 in fines in under four hours.

According to the Dubai Police, the tourist approached the car rental company on July 30 to rent a Lamborghini Huracan. Between 2.30am and 6am on July 31, he clocked speeds of up to 240kmph, setting off the radars 12 times.

During these few hours, the tourist went on to amass speeding fines of Dh70,000. An additional Dh100,000 is the approximate fee for avoiding confiscation of the car for the dangerous driving violations.

The owner of the company, Mohammed Ibrahim, said the tourist had rented the car for three days.

He said there are no clear procedures in place to protect car rental firms’ rights in such cases. He claimed that in previous instances, he had approached the police, who reportedly told him

That they could only initiate a case if the customer hadn’t paid the rent. “I will have to pay a huge sum if I decide to initiate a case against the tourist,” he said. “Also, the tourist could travel back to his home country before the case is resolved.”

Ibrahim said the firm would have to pay up the fines if the tourist fails to. “There are mechanisms for us to recover the amount, but no quick procedures.”

A source at the police’s traffic department said the radars catch the vehicles and not drivers. “It is not possible for us to intervene in the case unless it is to issue black points against the driver.”

He advised the car rental firm to approach the Dubai Courts to resolve the issue.

A legal expert, Mohammed Al Awami Al Mansouri, said that in such cases, the firm can file a case in the court, with a request that the tourist be barred from travelling until he clears his dues.