The Transport Bureau (DSAT) said in a statement yesterday that between 2017 and this year, more than 1,800 owners of abandoned vehicles removed by the government failed to pay the scrapping fee and respective fines, of which over 800 have been referred to the Financial Service Bureau (DSF) to carry out tax enforcement procedures and impose charges such as removal and storage fees.
According to the statement, the legal term “abandoned vehicles” refers to those whose owners failed to pay motor vehicle tax, the registrations of which have been cancelled, and which were illegally parked in public spaces.
The bureau urged the vehicle owners to pay the relevant fees as soon as possible, so as to avoid the need to pay additional fees or interest.
The statement noted that when an abandoned vehicle is removed, a “notice” will be issued to the vehicle’s owner. The statement added that regardless of whether the vehicle is claimed or abandoned, the owner must go through the formalities at the Transport Bureau, pay the removal fee and the daily storage fee for a maximum of 90 days, and pay the respective fines to the relevant government entities. If the owner fails to pick up the vehicle within the statutory time limit, the vehicle will be deemed abandoned and be dealt with by the government.
The bureau reminded the vehicles’ owners to either complete the registration formalities first or dispose of their abandoned vehicles properly as even though some owners may have been told by car dealers to cancel the registration of their vehicles, the Vehicle Scrapping Certificate issued by car dealerships does not have the legal effect of transferring the ownership. Therefore, the bureau said, once the written-off vehicle is found to be parked or used in a public space, the vehicle owner is still responsible for any violations of the law.
This undated handout photo provided by the Transport Bureau (DSAT) shows the DSAT headquarters on Estrada de D. Maria II.
