FINES FOR CAR OWNERS AFTER DUST SETTLES
▶ Vehicles impounded and fines of up to Dh3,000 imposed for offence
More than 100 cars were impounded and dozens of motorists fined up to Dh3,000 as Abu Dhabi Municipality cracked down on dirty cars left behind by owners on holiday.
Inspections in Mussaffah and Mafraq industrial areas led to 141 vehicles being impounded, while 31 fines were issued and 289 car owners were given warnings for abandoning their vehicles for extended periods.
Similarly, motorists across the city were handed hefty fines for not having their car washed after returning from holiday.
The cause for the clampdown is both aesthetic and for safety. An official from the municipality said dirty cars were an eyesore and could pose risks to others. He said even if the cars are being left temporarily unattended while the owners were on holiday, there were laws against having dirty cars.
People should arrange for somebody to clean their cars while they are away, he said. “Even from a security perspective, unattended cars pose a risk,” he said.
The municipality urged people to keep their vehicles clean to avoid the Dh3,000 fine, which falls under Law No (2) for 2012.
If a person who has been fined reports to the municipality, a settlement will be offered, which includes a 50 per cent discount. However, the offender will still need to pay impound fees that vary based on the type of vehicle and where it was impounded. Repeat offenders will have their fine doubled.
According to a municipality statement, motorists are given three days notice before impounding their car. The previous notice period was 14 days.
“If the vehicle is not removed after three days the municipality will tow it to the impounding yard to protect the general appearance of the city as they become a source of public nuisance due to the accumulation of dust and waste.”
The law applies to all vehicles, including trailers and boats.
Khalid Mohammed, an Emirati graphic designer, said he was given no such notice before he was fined and his car impounded. The 33-year-old said he left his car where he always does before travelling – in the designated parking space outside Guardian Towers in Muroor where he lives.
His car was still in its spot when he returned from holiday two weeks later, but a few days after that it was gone. “No one called me, or texted me, so I thought it was stolen,” he said.
Mr Mohammed called the police, who told him to check with Mawaqif and Abu Dhabi Municipality before reporting a theft. He said neither police nor Mawaqif had his car and the municipality had no record of impounding it because the process is outsourced. All he could do was visit the impound yards himself.
He found his car at the last yard he visited in Mafraq.
Before the impound yard would release his car, Mr Mohammed had to return to the municipality to pay his fine.
“So I went to the one in Al Bateen and had to wait for an hour and a half for my turn.”
He was given a 50 per cent discount, but had to pay impounding fees.
“Then I had to go back to Al Mafraq, and someone had to drive me through the yard to find my car,” he said.
Another motorist, Mohammed Al Daqqaq, said he was erroneously issued a fine instead of a warning for his dirty car.
“When I came back from holiday in Jordan, my car was very dirty of course and I drove it to the car wash, but it was too crowded,” the 32-year-old marketing manager said.
A few days later, he parked the car near Formal Park along the Abu Dhabi Corniche.
“I parked it there on Saturday and bought a Mawaqif ticket and put it on the windshield, so obviously I was using the car and it was not left unattended.”
On Sunday he had a Dh3,000 fine for disturbing the public image. After visiting two municipality branches he was told the inspector meant to issue him a warning, but wrote it on a fine slip instead.
“I had to speak to the section head where my unintentional fine was registered to remove it from the system, but he wasn’t there so I have to go back tomorrow,” he said.