Traffic Police’s pound has over 1,000 vehicles, including 2 seized in 2015
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Managing the vehicles at the Traffic Police pound – including providing security, and safety checks – contributes to the cost of storing them there, the police said.
PHOTO: ST FILE
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SINGAPORE – There were more than 1,000 vehicles at the Traffic Police’s vehicle pound in Airport Road at the end of October, with two of them having been there since 2015.
This was disclosed by the police in response to queries from The Straits Times on Nov 11, the same day the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) introduced a Bill in Parliament to amend the Road Traffic Act to incentivise owners to collect their seized vehicles or trailers in a timely manner.
The police may seize a vehicle if they believe it is linked to an offence under the Penal Code or Road Traffic Act.
“The vehicles are stored in the compound until the conclusion of investigations and court proceedings; and after that, until the owner eventually collects the vehicle,” the police added.
The law currently allows the Traffic Police to dispose of any vehicle, if its owner does not claim it within one month of its detention, after the owner has been given due notice.
But MHA said the Traffic Police cannot dispose of vehicles that have been claimed by owners who delay collection.
Common reasons for such delays include being on hospitalisation or medical leave, or working or travelling overseas, the police told ST. Some foreign motorists also say they are recuperating overseas.
Owners can in fact authorise a third party to collect the vehicle on their behalf.
Managing the vehicles – including providing security and conducting pound maintenance and safety checks – contributes to the general cost of storing them at the Traffic Police pound, the police said.
If the Road Traffic (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill is passed, the owner of a seized vehicle must take back his vehicle within a specified period if he lays claim to it.
The Traffic Police can charge owners for storage if they do not collect the seized vehicle on time, and the daily storage fees must be paid before the vehicle is released.
The police can dispose of the seized vehicle a month after the end of the collection period, or sell it via an auction. The new laws will also apply to vehicles currently impounded.
Currently, the Traffic Police can impose fees under certain circumstances, such as if the owner of the vehicle or trailer has been convicted of an offence, or the offence has been compounded under the Road Traffic Act and its rules.
The Traffic Police can recover any storage fees or removal fees – imposed for vehicles parked illegally or abandoned on public roads, causing obstruction – from any proceeds from the sale or disposal of unclaimed vehicles or trailers.
