More than 5,000 people in Dubai opt to have their cars impounded virtually

The service allows residents to choose to keep their vehicles at home, rather than have them taken to a police lot

A man was arrested after allegedly trying to sell drugs to an undercover Dubai Police officer. Pawan Singh / The National

Thousands of people have opted to have their car impounded on their driveways in Dubai since the start of the year.

In total, more than 5,100 drivers have used the “smart impound” system, which allows residents to keep their vehicles at home, rather than have them taken to a police lot, in return for a Dh420 fee.

It works by using a tracker, which notifies Dubai Police if the car has been moved from the spot.

"Since it was launched in 2018, the smart impound system has helped motorists impound their cars outside their villa or parking lot," said Brigadier Saif Muhair Al Mazroui, director of the General Directorate of Traffic at Dubai Police.

"To ensure that impounded cars are not driven, a small tracking device will be installed inside the vehicle to alert the police and will be visible on a map in the command room.”