Abandoned vehicles in public spaces are an eyesore.
ABANDONED vehicles are an eyesore and an annoyance to many people.
They often deprive residents and visitors in a neighbourhood of prized parking spaces, too.
But how does one get rid of an unwanted vehicle?
DBKL enforcement officers removing a derelict vehicle which had been left abandoned at Kepong Entrepreneurs Park. – Photos: MUHAMAD SHAHRIL ROSLI and AZLINA ABDULLAH/The Star
The owner can sell it if it is roadworthy, but what about an old vehicle that has come to the “end of its life” and is no longer repairable?
The proper way would be to first deregister the vehicle with Road Transport Department (JPJ) before hauling it to an authorised scrap centre to be disposed of.
However, the often tedious and lengthy process tends to put off many owners who then opt for the easy way out by abandoning the vehicles in back lanes, residential parking lots and industrial areas.
The responsibility of managing the abandoned vehicles then falls upon local authorities, who may lack the resources in terms of manpower, space and funding to effectively remove all junks from public spaces.
To get ahead of the problem, some local authorities offer free vehicle disposal services, while one local council in Selangor has embarked on a pilot project to manage abandoned vehicles, through a court process that would cut down disposal time.
Stakeholders and industry players StarMetro spoke to also say that there is better awareness now of ways to properly get rid of unwanted vehicles, which they hope will result in fewer abandoned ones on the streets and in public spaces. Voluntary surrender
Since 2016, the public can choose to voluntarily give up their dilapidated or unwanted vehicles to Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) for proper disposal.
Osman says the DBKL depot is at 80% capacity.
“We provide this free service in hopes of reducing the thousands of abandoned vehicles in the city.
“The car owners can contact DBKL to sign a letter of undertaking and hand over the vehicles, then we will dispose of it.
“They will not be charged for this service,” said its Enforcement director Osman Ismail.
He said that some owners chose to leave their vehicles as they did not want to go through the process of deregistering and scrapping.
“This usually involves a visit to JPJ where they have to fill out paperwork, which many are reluctant to do.
“Our condition is that owners must prove that the vehicle belongs to them and there are no outstanding loans or claims, and it hasn’t been used for criminal activity.
“We will also do our due diligence,” he added.
Typically, once a complaint about an abandoned vehicle is made, DBKL officers will carry out an inspection.
A notice would be sent to the owner – based on records obtained from JPJ – to remove the obstruction according to Section 46 of Street, Drainage and Building Act 1974.
Flyers from car recycling centres are sometimes pasted on abandoned vehicles which offer assistance for proper disposal.
If unclaimed after three days, it will be towed to DBKL’s depot in Taman Connaught, Cheras, where owners have three months to reclaim the vehicle.
Owners will have to fork out RM100 for towing fees and RM10 per day for storage fees to reclaim their vehicles.
DBKL will also check with the police if the vehicle has ever been used for criminal activities before it is considered for disposal through public auction or scrapping.
The entire process can take a minimum of six months, which means these vehicles are left idle in the depot.
The Taman Connaught depot is currently the only one for abandoned vehicles and can hold 1,000 vehicles.
Two other depots in Sentul are used for vehicles associated with traffic offences.
DBKL’s Abandoned Vehicles depot in Taman Connaught, Kuala Lumpur can hold up to 1,000 vehicles.
Osman said that with owners voluntarily surrendering their vehicles, it would help shorten the disposal process and free up space at its depot.
“The depot is currently at 80% capacity, with more vehicles coming in each day.
“If the public surrenders cars instead of abandoning them, we can resolve the cases faster,” he said, adding that about 75 people had voluntarily surrendered their vehicles since the initiative was introduced in 2016.
While Osman encouraged the public to take up its free disposal service, he called for patience as not every case would be attended to immediately.
“We receive a lot of requests for vehicle disposal, but we only have a certain capacity per day that we can handle.
“It is not always possible for us to respond to every request right away, but we aim to address each complaint,” he said.
In Kajang, Selangor, owners can contact the Kajang Municipal Council (MPKj) to get rid of their vehicles.
However, they must first go through the deregistration process with JPJ before they can surrender the vehicles.
Surrendered and abandoned vehicles will be towed to an authorised automotive treatment facility so that batteries, engine oil, air-conditioner gases, coolant and other components like plastic and metal parts can be segregated for reuse, recycling or recovery.
Some local authorities have even held campaigns to encourage proper disposal of vehicles.
In 2021, Johor Baru City Council (MBJB) launched a campaign with JPJ for owners to hand over old and abandoned cars.
It gave car owners in Johor Baru a means to get rid of their old or unused vehicles without facing any penalty or legal action from the authorities.
Shortening lengthy process
Ampang Jaya Municipal Council recently announced that it was seeking to manage cases of abandoned vehicles through a court process that would cut down the length of time needed to dispose of them.
Instead of taking more than a year, the process will be shortened to seven or eight months for each case.
Procedural improvements such as vehicle checks with the police and JPJ as well as vehicle deregistration are included in the new system.
As of March, 165 cases have been registered with the Ampang Magistrate’s Court with 81 vehicle revocation orders issued for deregisteration by JPJ.
Derelict vehicles like this one at Pelangi Magna, Kepong, take up valuable parking spaces.
Meanwhile, Kepong community activist Yee Poh Ping urged the authorities to simplify the vehicle surrender process.
Having received many complaints from Kepong residents over the years, Yee said that the current process was time-consuming, which discouraged many people from surrendering their vehicles.
“This will also reduce the number of potentially dangerous vehicles that aren’t roadworthy on the streets,” he added.
He suggested that authorities consider implementing an online platform where owners could fill out the paperwork and attach necessary documents.
“This would make it easier and more convenient to get rid of unwanted vehicles,” Yee said.
Thanasekaran Kumaraguru, who operates a licensed waste management and recycling company in Kuala Lumpur, said he had seen an increase in owners looking to get rid of their old vehicles.
When a car is brought into the recycling centre, scheduled waste such as batteries, engine oil, air-conditioner gases, coolants and other components like plastic and metal parts must be segregated for reuse, recycling or recovery.
“Up to about 10 years ago, people were not sure where to go to get rid of unusable or unsellable cars.
“But now, there is more information and avenues available, and also more willingness to responsibly dispose of their old cars,” he told StarMetro.
The chief procurement officer of Thanam Industry Sdn Bhd, Thanasekaran said the company had been receiving about 100 enquiries a month from people looking to get rid of their old vehicles.
“Owners are also willing to go through the recycling process to get at least some cash back for their old cars.
“This not only helps them to responsibly dispose of their old vehicles, but also puts less burden on authorities to manage abandoned vehicles,” he said.
By explaining the process to people who are looking to get rid of their old cars, the company helps to ensure that the vehicles are disposed of in an environmentally responsible manner.
“This is important, as old vehicles can contain hazardous materials that can harm the environment if not disposed of properly,” Thanasekaran said, adding that stringent regulations were in place including being registered with the Department of Environment.
Scheduled waste such as batteries, engine oil, air-conditioner gases, coolants and other components like plastic and metal parts must be segregated for reuse, recycling or recovery, he said.
