DBKL opens new storage area for towed vehicles

KUALA Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) will come down hard on owners of abandoned vehicles in the city, especially those in housing areas.

Kuala Lumpur mayor Datuk Seri Ahmad Phesal Talib said the vehicles would be towed away if DBKL received complaints about them from the public.

“Vehicles that are deemed unusable, such as those with missing tyres, will be towed away immediately.

“We will also reduce the duration of the grace period for serviceable vehicles before towing them away as they mar the image of the city and also take up parking spots,” he said, during the launch of the new towed vehicle storage depot in Jalan Galloway, Kuala Lumpur.

The depot operates 24 hours daily and it caters to towed vehicles from the city centre, especially the Bukit Bintang area.

DBKL Enforcement department director Mohd Sauffi Muhamad said the new depot’s location was convenient for enforcement officers during operations as well as for the public to claim their towed vehicles.

“Currently, we have two depots in Sri Hartamas and Jinjang, respectively. However, both depots are far from the city centre.

“With the one in Jalan Galloway, it will be easier for people to reclaim their vehicles as it is near the city centre and accessible through public transport.

“For the convenience of motorists, we have also started vehicle status checking applications where motorists can contact DBKL via WhatsApp to check the status of their towed vehicles.

“We will reply within several minutes, complete with the location of the towed vehicle, time and date the vehicles were towed and the payment required to reclaim it,” he said, adding that the new application applied to all three storage depots.

From January to September this year, 6,105 vehicles were towed by DBKL, amounting to RM725,420 in compound notices and towing and storage costs. Some 2,590 vehicles were also blacklisted for failing to pay DBKL compound notices.

Some of the hot-spots identified were Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, Jalan Raja Laut, Jalan Bukit Bintang, Jalan Tun Sambanthan, Jalan Ampang, Jalan Ipoh, Jalan Kenanga, Jalan Pudu Jalan Bangsar and Jalan Telawi.

Motorists who suspect their vehicles have been towed are advised to send a message to 013-666 3255 via WhatsApp.

In conjunction with the launch, DBKL has also prepared seven lay-by locations for enforcement agencies such as the police, Road Transport Department, Land Public Transport Commission and others to park their vehicles temporarily during joint operations.

There will also be 15 new scooters for female traffic wardens during peak hours in the city centre.