Asked to clear 20 years of fines on cancelled car

An Emirati was shocked to learn that he could not register his new car as he had to clear a backlog of fines and licence arrears totalling Dh8,000, accumulated on his old car, which he claims was cancelled in 1991.

Abdul Aziz Al Rostamani, 62, was involved in a traffic accident two decades earlier while he was driving a 1979-model Mercedes. The car was totally damaged.The garage had issued him a certificate stating the vehicle was no longer fit to be driven and must be cancelled.

Now he is surprised to find the car registration still valid on the RTA system. He has asked the RTA to cancel all dues on the vehicle as it was cancelled in 1991, reported 'Emarat Al Youm'.

But Mohammed Abdul Karim Ne’amat, Director of Licensing of vehicles, Licensing department, RTA, said: "He will not be able to register the new vehicle before writing-off the old one, paying the fines accumulated since he last registered the vehicle."

Al Rostamani said he has documents to prove that the old vehicle was cancelled after the accident. BUt his request has been rejected and he has been asked to pay Dh8,000 as back-log payments since 1991 in addition to fine of delaying licensing of the vehicle.

Ne’amat  said he was not able to register the new vehicle because a vehicle with expired licence since 1991 is already in his name.

Motorists must pay fines of delay of renewal once the licence expires. RTA gives clients one month grace period after the end of the registration period, before issuing a fine. Dh64 is added every 45 days of late renewal.

Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.