Abu Dhabi: Around 3,142 abandoned vehicles left in public areas, public parking and residential communities of Musaffah were identified, of which 2,668 vehicles have been impounded as of August 4, 2015, the Abu Dhabi City Municipality said on Sunday.
The move is part of the municipality’s ongoing campaign urging the public to avoid leaving vehicles at public places for lengthy periods as the unsightly practice mars the city’s civilised appearance.
The campaign resulted in impounding vehicles which have exhausted the grace period offered in accordance with the applicable rules.
In January, about 306 abandoned vehicles were reported, of which 255 vehicles were impounded during the same month. In February, 296 vehicles were reported and 246 vehicles were impounded. In March, the municipality spotted 490 abandoned vehicles and impounded 453 vehicles of them. In April, the number of spotted vehicles soared to 510 out of which 429 were impounded, and the rise in the number of spotted vehicles continued to rise in May to reach 619 vehicles, out of which 516 were impounded.
In June, about 501 vehicles were spotted and 430 were impounded, but the number of vehicles spotted dropped substantially in July to as low as 299 vehicles out of which 243 were impounded. During the first week of August, about 121 vehicles were spotted and 96 of them were impounded.
The municipality is combating practices which deface the appearance of the city through legal procedures pursuant to Law No (2) for 2012 for maintaining public appearance, health and tranquillity in Abu Dhabi along with its Executive Regulations.
Subsequent amendments revised the notice period to three days instead of 14 days following which the inspector will notify the vehicle-towing company to remove the often dust-polluted vehicle. The law is applicable to all vehicles, including trailers and boats, which are all subject to removal to the vehicle impounding area at Al Wathba.
In implementation of the provisions of Law No (2) for 2012, a fine of Dh3,000 is imposed, and once the offender reports to the municipality, a settlement is offered, including the payment of 50 per cent of the fine. Should the offence recur, the fine will be doubled and daily impounding fees will be applied, depending on the type of vehicle, and the area from which the vehicle was removed.
