Curbs on abandoned cars in the works

Henry Siu and Michael Shum

Vehicle owners will remain responsible for their automobiles' disposal even if they do not renew their registration with the Transport Department, as the government plans to tighten the mechanism to curb the abandonment and improper disposal of cars.

Presently, the department cancels a vehicle's registration if not renewed two years after its expiry, and owners do not have to bear responsibility for the vehicle.

This loophole has given rise to cars discarded on public roads and back alleys, causing road obstructions and environmental hygiene issues.

An amendment is being prepared to plug the loophole, ending the two-year automatic cancellation of vehicle registration, according to a government paper tabled at the Legislative Council yesterday.

The document outlines that the department will issue a notice to vehicle owners who are required to either renew their registration or cancel it within three months in order to avoid facing a criminal offense.

Even if owners refuse renewal, they will still have to bear responsibility for their vehicles. Those who fail to renew or cancel their vehicle registration will be considered criminals and face a HK$10,000 fine and three months in jail on first conviction. Subsequent convictions will fetch a maximum fine of HK$25,000 and a six-month imprisonment.

The court can also ban the convicted vehicle owners from being issued or renewing their driver's license.

A spokesperson for the Transport and Logistics Bureau said: "To address at source the issue of improper abandonment of unlicensed vehicles in a public area, amendments will be made to hold vehicle owners responsible for their vehicles on a continuous basis."

Chairman of Legco's panel on transport Ben Chan Han-pan said: "Under current arrangements, the authority cannot charge car owners for improperly abandoning cars that are not licensed for a long time. The amendment may improve the flaws in the current arrangement and I believe that it helps prevent abandoned cars from blocking the streets."

Chan also expressed concern about whether there will be sufficient manpower for enforcement, and suggested that authorities immediately cancel the registration of already abandoned cars to prevent repeated reports from the public.

"By improving the current situation of blocked streets, it can improve public satisfaction with the effectiveness of the amendment," Chan said.