DOHA: Around 10,000 cars are in the custody of the Traffic Department, 3,000 of them abandoned by owners because fines had exceeded their market price while some owners have been deported.
The cars are kept for a maximum six months, after which they are sold in an open auction and proceeds go to the department, according to Lt Mohammed Safar Al Kuwari, Assistant Officer at the Department of Investigation and Vehicle Detention.
“Last July we auctioned 800 cars, 450 of which were sold. There will be another auction to sell the remaining cars,” he said.
Cars are mainly seized due to reckless driving, stunt driving, road racing which put others’ lives in danger, and tinting the glasses in a way that affects road safety and public security.
Other reasons include failure to change old number plates and not renewing the road permit (istimara).
He said the department had deployed police patrol in Doha, Al Shamal, and the southern part of the country to monitor traffic violations and wrong driving behaviour.
The department issues circulars to seize cars after motorists escape after committing violations or those have court cases.
The Peninsula
