Dubai Municipality, property developers to confiscate abandoned vehicles

Dubai - Discuss action plan for removing vehicles abandoned on road sides and public places

Dubai Municipality, which actively continues its "My Vehicle" campaign under the slogan, Clean Vehicle.Sustainable City, plans to carry out the vehicle confiscation activities in cooperation with real estate developers in the emirate.

The Waste Management Department discussed with leading real estate developers the action plan for removing vehicles abandoned on the road sides and public places obstructing the city cleaning process.

The meeting aims to enhance cooperation with the private sector, which oversees the responsibility of managing large residential and investment areas in the emirate estimated at 10,045 square km.

Eng. Abdul Majeed Sifai, Director of Waste Management Department and Head of Awareness Team on Sustainable Waste Management in Dubai Municipality, said the vehicle will be identified whether it meets the conditions of removal (left dirty, damaged or obstructs city cleaning) and then a violation notice will be issued by putting a warning sticker on the vehicle, which gives a period of 15 days to clean the vehicle.

Failing to respond within this period will lead to confiscation of the vehicle and shifting to the Municipality Scrap Yard of the Warehouse Section under the Contracts and Purchase Department.
"If the vehicle owner does not contact the Municipality to pay the fine, the vehicle will be sold by auction," said Sifai.

Representatives of major real estate developers such as Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority, Dubai Investment Group, TECOM, Dubai Properties Group and Meydan group attended the meeting.
 
He stressed the importance of spreading environmental awareness to all sectors of society in their locations.
 
He said it's important to enhance the role of these companies in creating awareness among the tenants of the residential complexes on the importance of not leaving their vehicles neglected and inappropriate to the general appearance of the city.

"We are looking at how to coordinate effectively in the removal of abandoned vehicles from these residential complexes to the Dubai Municipality Scrap Yard after meeting all the legal requirements of removal," said Sifai.
An electronic awareness bulletin about the "My Vehicle" campaign will be spread, in addition to organizing a number of field activities for the residents and employees of the companies to raise awareness about the importance of not leaving vehicles in a way that distorts the cultural and aesthetic appearance of the city.
 
It was decided that Dubai Municipality will offer the service of removing abandoned vehicles that are approved by these companies according to their eligibility for removal provided and that the legal responsibility for the removal is on the developer company and not on Dubai Municipality, said Sifai.
 
As for the law, leaving or neglecting any vehicles or equipment on the road side and public places without moving them is an offence as it distracts the cleaning process.

reporters@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai