Car wash rules in UAE: How to avoid up to Dh3,000 fine for dirty vehicles
So, Can Cars Be Washed in Public Areas in UAE?
Washing your vehicle in unmarked spaces (beside the homes in a closed neighbourhood, or before a building) is illegal in some cities of the Emirates. It’s for any public space: streets, car parks, parks, and all the other public areas.
The UAE civic authorities spend heavily on the cleanliness and aesthetics of the Emirate and they ask the citizens to do the same. The policy also promises to prevent wastage of water and pollution while maintaining the urban cleanliness.
Only in car wash and petrol stations are you allowed to wash your vehicle. These locations are set up to process it in a responsible manner where water is managed and waste is treated.
Why you are fined
Washing your car in public is against the law and carries a fine. You get a Dh500 penalty for cleaning your car on streets, parking lot, or public areas in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
If you are lucky, you can wash vehicles in your villa. Municipalities say, if your villa is in a restricted compound and the water you are using for washing does not spilt or spill out onto the public areas then you can wash your car.
But if you’re in a communal villa, for example, then you could be fined or penalised if you wash your car and water seeps out onto the streets or communal areas.
Runoff accumulates on pavements, and if drains burst, the pollutants wash into nearby ponds and lakes, which pollutes. That imposes cleaning and repair work routinely.
Sometimes the residents also add to the issue inadvertently, putting cleaners or other chemicals in the shared areas, which spills out into the adjacent, interlocked pavement areas. This can chip the pavement and make the underlayment asphalt sink and increase the repair price.
Residents who violate these regulations will be issued a NOV and could be charged Dh500.
'Dirty car' penalty
Owners who leave dirty or unrestored cars in public areas are subject to a Dh500 fine from the municipal council of Dubai if caught. To leave dirty cars in public parking spaces for long time not only makes the city unclean, but it also gives the city an unclean look.
Leave dirty cars on the roadside or in the streets of Abu Dhabi, it’s an offence against traffic laws. The city police take it extremely seriously, and if caught drivers can be handed a Dh3,000 fine. The city can also impounded the cars for such violations.
Licensed car wash
A certified car wash, or washing your car at home is preferable so as not to be fined.
The Sharjah police also charge Dh250 to car owners who hir illegal car washers to wash their car in the street or in residential areas. Unlicensed car washers, too, get Dh500 in penalty.
The city council reprimands illegal car washers who smelt foul air and water washing people’s cars in public spaces or houses. In the long run, officials said, accumulated filthy water spreads illness and sanitises the neighborhood.
- Residents visiting from abroad should park their cars in approved private parking lots for longer stays. It’s these companies that keep the car clean and tidy until its owner comes back. This keeps the car hygienic and does not cause the degeneration of the streets.
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