Dubai authorities are warning car owners that if they leave their vehicles on streets and public squares for weeks at a time, they will be hit with fines of up to Dh3,000.
On Thursday, new warnings were issued by the Abu Dhabi Municipality, re-iterating that it is a violation of the municipality’s rules to abandon vehicles in public squares and on the side of the road.
Hundreds of cars are found abandoned and in dirty condition in numerous areas, including the likes of Baniyas, Mafraq and the Musaffah industrial area, according to the civic body.
Officials claim that cars that have been left parked on streets for a long time, and have therefore become dirty, have an adverse impact on the appearance of the city, in addition to causing environmental pollution.
The municipality also says that the great majority of these cars end up being impounded because they seem to have been abandoned when left unattended for long periods of time in places that are not enclosed or fenced off.
Vehicles that are dirty in appearance may also be towed away, with the practice being described by the municipality as an “irresponsible flouting of community rights.”
Municipality inspectors routinely check car parks and city streets in Abu Dhabi on a daily basis, and if a car is judged to be in violation of the rules, there will be a two-week monitoring period, after which a notice will be placed on it asking for the owners to have it removed.
The car will then be towed away if the owner does not move the vehicle within another 24 hours.
The municipality has also reminded drivers that it is their responsibility to ensure that their motor vehicles are kept clean, even if they are currently on holiday from elsewhere in the United Arab Emirates, or they risk getting their cars swept up in the new crackdown.
If motorists are judged to have abandoned their vehicles on the streets of Abu Dhabi, the penalty is a fine of Dh3,000, though owners will only have to stump up 50% of that – a total of Dh1,500 – providing that they pay it within 30 days after the seizing of the car.
All vehicle owners in Abu Dhabi and the rest of the UAE are also legally required to have car insurance coverage on their motor vehicles.
Whether the vehicle is new or used, it is a legal requirement within the UAE to have it insured with a reputable insurance firm prior to registration.
When you take out comprehensive car insurance on your motor vehicle in the UAE, it provides the car with a complete package that covers any damages resulting from the likes of accidents, fire or theft while also covering against third-party insurance – for example, if your car causes damage to another party.