The CoE urges owners of impounded vehicles to come forward

The CoE calls on the owners of over 700 impounded vehicles to claim their vehicles or face losing them.

The city embarked on a 30-day process, starting on November 10, to call on the owners of 735 impounded vehicles before it auctions them.

The vehicles include 582 cars, 80 motorcycles, 53 trailers, 14 caravans, and six containers.

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CoE spokesperson Zweli Dlamini spoke to Kempton Express.

“These vehicles were removed from roads across the city by the EMPD for various transgressions in line with Regulation 319 (1) (2) of the National Road Traffic Act 93 of 1996,” he said.

Regulations in the Act allow a traffic officer to remove any vehicle parked in contravention of any of the CoE’s by-laws or abandoned in a way that obstructs the traffic and is dangerous to other road users.

“These vehicles are removed to a safer place, mainly metro police pounds, by the police officer in question.”

The law is clear that a vehicle left in the same place on a public road outside an urban area for 24 hours may be classified as abandoned.

A traffic officer may also impound a vehicle that has no license number affixed to it or has a false license number affixed.

Dlamini said after impounding a vehicle, the officer shall take necessary steps to trace its owner. During that time, the vehicles are kept at the registered pounds in the city.

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“Unless the vehicle was reported stolen, this Act states that the vehicle owner is liable for the expenses incurred in its removal and storage,” he said.

“Regulations 320(3) (a) and (b) of the National Road Traffic Act (NRTA) 93 of 1996 state that if the vehicle was impounded and the owner fails to claim it within 120 days and also fails to respond to the notice sent notifying him to come and release the said vehicle, the council may suitably dispose of that vehicle.”

To claim these vehicles, owners must visit the nearest EMPD pound and bring original proof of ownership (registration papers) and the owner’s identity document.

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The owners must claim their vehicles on or before December 11, after which the city will auction them.

Dlamini said if the city fails to sell the vehicles, it may dispose of them how it deems fit, and the money received as a result of such disposal shall be forfeited to the city.