Picture for illustrative purposes only. ARCHIVE

Sharjah authorities have announced that motorists can cancel traffic fines that are over 10 years old for a fee of Dh1,000. The new move is aimed at easing the backlog of traffic violations. The decision was announced during a meeting of the Executive Council held at the office of the Ruler of Sharjah on Tuesday (April 22), chaired by Sheikh Abdullah bin Salem bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah and Deputy Chairman of the Executive Council. Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, also a Deputy Ruler and Council Deputy Chairman, was present. The fee-based cancellation, however, does not apply to all cases. Violations can be cancelled without the Dh1,000 payment if the vehicle owner has died or has left the UAE for more than 10 consecutive years, or if the vehicle has been abandoned and the owner is unreachable. Officials did not specify how long the cancellation program would run or how many cases might qualify under the exemption rules. Motorists can inquire with Sharjah Traffic Police regarding the traffic file cancellation on their specific case. The initiative is expected to assist thousands of vehicle owners in resolving long-standing fines and clearing outdated violations from their records. ICA/Expat Media
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