The standard authority of the UAE is banning the import of used cars in the UAE. The cars that were heavily damaged will no longer be imported and insured in the UAE from 1st May, 2017. A senior official revealed that such cars will not be valid for registration as well.
Director-General of the Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology (ESMA), Abdullah Al Maeeni revealed that the ban will encompass all vehicles that were water damaged, burnt out, non-repairable and rebuilt cars. This ban also includes cars with major manufacturing defects.
Why The Used Cars Are Going To Be Banned?
Imported used cars make a very dangerous automobile for the motorists living anywhere in the world. Since most of these cars are rebuilt, there is no guarantee that these cars are safe to travel in. According to Abdullah Al Maeeni, “Part of our mission is to make importers stop importing and manufacturers stop rebuilding of these salvage-title vehicles and passing them on to unsuspecting drivers.”
Al Maeeni explains that the cars with a salvage title are a red flag and so are the rebuilt cars. These are the cars that were totaled or completely damaged in an accident and they were later rebuilt to be resold. Once they are rebuilt, the title of these car is changed from a salvage title to rebuilt title.
When the cost of the repair of the car is more than its actual value, the insurance companies declare the car a total loss. The motor vehicle agency gives the car a salvage title when the car is repaired. This means that the car cannot be registered, sold or driven in its current condition.
What Is The Future Of Imported Cars In The UAE?
In order to keep importing used cars in the UAE, the importers will have to ensure that these cars are completely free of any defect and damage. They would also have to mention what cars are meant for re-export and the cars that are imported for the sake of dismantling.
Al Maeeni revealed that UAE imports around 300,000 vehicles from German, USA and Japan. The importers are given a deadline of 30th April, so that they can adjust the legal status requirements and observe the new rules.
Abdullah Al Maeeni said, “ESMA has access to databases of all used car exporting countries to keep track of these vehicle and prevent them from reaching our market. Draft laws for conformity of spare parts and classification of auto workshops across the UAE have been submitted to the Cabinet for approval.”
He also revealed that the insurance companies, traffic departments and ESMA are all co-operating to stop the import of such vehicles in the UAE and their resale to the UAE motorists. The reason behind this ban is to ensure complete safety of the motorists while they drive such imported used vehicles that they bought in the UAE.
What Can Be Gained By This Ban?
Since the imported used cars in the Gulf countries and the UAE will have to meet the requirements set by GCC Standardisation Organisation, only the vehicles that have Gulf Conformity Mark will be sold in the UAE, as the Gulf Conformity Mark testifies the agreement of the GCC-wide safety and health regulations.
With commencement of this new ban, the motorists can easily buy important used cars from international brands without having to worry about their safety and the safety of their passengers. After 1st May, no such cars will be imported and sold in the used car market of the UAE.
