Qatar Science & Technology Park (QSTP)

Abandoned Vehicles

By Ola Diab

A campaign to remove abandoned vehicles across the country.

The Ministry of Municipality’s Mechanical Equipment Department and the Committee for Removing Abandoned Vehicles is removing abandoned vehicles in the city. The Ministry of Municipality removes abandoned vehicles as part of its initiative to preserve the country's aesthetic view. Originally launched by the Committee for Removing Abandoned Vehicles, the campaign is carried out annually as part of Law No 18 of 2017 on Public Hygiene. Owners of vehicles that have been impounded for more than three months may approach the Traffic Investigation Section to complete all necessary procedures and claim the vehicles after paying penalties and fees within 30 days. The Traffic Investigation Section is located in the Industrial Area, Street No 52. If the owners of the impounded vehicles do not show up within the specified period, the General Directorate of Traffic will cancel those vehicles that have completed the legal period from the traffic records and display them for sale in a public auction.

Impounded yards Abandoned vehicles disrupting public places are impounded and then taken to a designated impound yard. A minimum fine of QAR1,000 is imposed on owners who come to retrieve their abandoned vehicles, and an additional cost, varying from QAR500 (light vehicles) to QAR2,000 (for additional transportation equipment) is imposed as the cost of transportation fees for towing the vehicle. If the vehicle is not claimed within six months, it will be cancelled in cooperation with the Traffic Department. Once cancelled, the vehicle will be offered in a public auction to be recycled by a metal recycling company. Prior to impounding abandoned vehicles, authorities place warning stickers on the vehicles ordering owners to move their vehicles and clear the space. If the vehicle remains abandoned for three days (72 hours), it is then impounded. However, vehicles found in a bad condition are removed immediately without a warning sticker. Vehicles are removed using equipment from the Ministry of Municipality’s Mechanical Equipment Department, the Internal Security Force (Lekhwiya) and the Traffic Department. Since its formation in 2013, the committee has removed more than 61,500 abandoned vehicles and had them impounded in Al Mashaf and Mesaimeer yards. A new impound area has been allocated by