MBPP enforcement asks motorists to deal with JPJ themselves for smoother disposal
ABANDONED cars and motorcycles continue to be an eyesore in neighbourhoods and now have become an environmental hazard as well.
To top it off, the local authority is running out of space to store these unwanted vehicles and machines.
The four depots of Penang Island City Council (MBPP) are now home to 437 automobiles and 657 motorcycles that were removed from back lanes, residential areas, or strata scheme carparks from 2020 to September this year.
MBPP Enforcement director Noorazrein Noorazlan Ong said the depots in Relau, Patani Road, Bagan Jermal and Batu Uban could accommodate only 390 automobiles and 620 motorcycles.
Notice is up: Penang Island City Council enforcement officers using a hydraulic loading crane to remove a car abandoned for a long time on Bakau Road in Jelutong, Penang. — ZHAFARAN NASIB/The Star
“Our depots in Batu Uban and Bagan Jermal that are used to keep abandoned cars and those associated with traffic offences, have reached the maximum capacity.
“The depot in Relau is the only one available for unwanted vehicles right now. We are seeing more vehicles coming in each day,” he said.
Noorazrein said the onus was on vehicle owners to dispose of their assets voluntarily instead of abandoning them.
He believed that many were put off by the tedious and lengthy process of parting ways with their vehicles, while some decided to keep them for sentimental reasons.
“The right way of discarding your old and unwanted vehicles is bringing them to an authorised scrap centre after de-registering them with the Road Transport Department (JPJ).
Cars towed away from the streets and crammed into MBPP impound yard in Bagan Jermal. — Photos: CHAN BOON KAI and ZHAFARAN NASIB/The Star
“But most owners decide not to do so as they must go through a lengthy process before getting the vehicles off their hands.”
He said this resulted in cars taking up precious parking spaces or abandoned by roadsides, especially near car workshops.
“Some cars are left to rot in the strata scheme parking lots, where car owners tend to ‘keep’ them,” he added.
Noorazrein said the management committee was advised to impose their house rules to ensure the owners did not leave their cars unattended or left abandoned in the residential parking lots.
“If the owners can voluntarily de-register or remove their ownership from the vehicles, it will help shorten the disposal process and free up space at our depots. This can help resolve the cases faster,” he explained.
Noorazrein: The onus is on the car or motorcycle owners to dispose of their assets voluntarily instead of abandoning them on roadsides.
MBPP is empowered to remove abandoned cars under Section 46 of the Street, Drainage and Building Act 1974.
Noorazrein said the provision allowed the local council to remove derelict and abandoned cars that caused obstruction in public places.
He said the city council would take action upon receiving public complaints.
The enforcement officers would first be deployed to investigate the complaints before deciding on the next course of action, he elaborated.
“We will check whether it is a derelict car left in a public place. If it is, a notice to remove the car will be issued to the owner.
“If the owner fails to do so within the given time, enforcement officers will tow it to our depot, where the owner has three months to reclaim the vehicle,” he said.
Abandoned cars and motorcycles at MBPP’s impound yard in Relau waiting for owners to claim before the council dispose of them.
The owner, he said, would have to pay a RM100 towing fee and RM10 per day for storage fees before getting their vehicles back.
Before any vehicle was considered for disposal through public auction or scrapping, Noorazrein said the local council would also check with the police if the vehicle had been used for criminal activities.
“The entire process can take a minimum of six months, which means these vehicles are left idle in the depot,” he said.
Penang island mayor Datuk A. Rajendran said the city council’s Enforcement Department had been monitoring the situation from time to time to ensure no vehicles were left abandoned on the island.
He said it was vital to keep the roads free of such vehicles that were an eyesore.
MBPP enforcement officers towing away a car from Bakau Road in Jelutong after the notice for it to be removed has expired. The notice was issued following residents’ complaints.
“We are trying our best to maintain this, but keeping the problem in check can be challenging as we don’t have enough land to keep such vehicles, although we have our own standard operating procedure in ensuring our depots are not choked with abandoned vehicles,” he added.
Resident of a Sungai Pinang neighbourhood, Mohd Amir Azli, 23, was relieved when the local council removed old cars.
“If I am not mistaken, some of the cars were already there when I moved in three years ago.
“They are taking up parking spaces. If the car is no longer roadworthy, just do the necessary.
MBPP enforcement officers looking for space to put another abandoned car at its impound yard in Relau, Penang.
“Otherwise, you are depriving others a chance to park their vehicles,” he said.
Businessman Izani Mansor, 48, said action should have been taken long ago against irresponsible owners who leave their vehicles to rot in a public area.
“Whoever lives around this area should know who owns more than two cars.
“They need space to park their cars. But some people with old cars are just irresponsible,” he said, while thanking the city council for attending to the residents’ problem.
“We hope more operations can be carried out to rid this problem in George Town,” he said.
