A fresh push has been made for greater transparency when abandoned and confiscated vehicles are sold at public auction, with Northern Municipal Council vice-chairwoman Zaina Jassim calling for two independent valuations before any vehicle is put under the hammer.
The demand comes as the Northern Municipality has outlined the procedures governing the auction of vehicles removed from public places under Bahrain’s 2019 Cleanliness Law, including how vehicles are valued, auctioned and how proceeds are handled.
Ms Jassim had raised a series of questions over the implementation of Article Seven, which allows abandoned vehicles and scrap metal to be disposed of through public auction after the prescribed warning and seizure procedures are completed.
Her questions focused on a key issue: how can owners be assured that their vehicles are being fairly valued and that any money left after expenses is properly accounted for?
She called for two separate evaluators to be assigned to assess each confiscated vehicle before auction, arguing that an independent double-check would provide greater protection for vehicle owners and strengthen confidence in the process.
For Ms Jassim, the issue ultimately comes down to ensuring that a vehicle owner is not left questioning whether the final auction value was fair.
Her proposal for two independent valuations before sale would add another layer of scrutiny to a process that can otherwise see a vehicle move from the roadside to the impound yard and finally under the auctioneer’s hammer.
The debate placed the spotlight not only on abandoned vehicles cluttering public spaces, but also on what happens to them – and their value – once the municipality takes them away.
Northern Municipality director-general Mohammed Al Sehli, in his response during yesterday’s council meeting, said vehicles were auctioned through Mazad, in accordance with approved government procedures governing the sale of movable assets by public auction.
He explained that each vehicle has to be valued separately by the municipality’s sanitation department, which is responsible for the sale process, in co-ordination with the General Directorate of Traffic.
“Mazad manages the sale, unless it is a Gulf or international auction company,” said Mr Al Sehli.
He also indicated that the market price determines the value, with the condition of the vehicle taken into consideration.
“The market price is what determines the value,” he said, adding that the vehicle’s body or chassis are not treated as representing the entire value of the vehicle and are sold as metal scraps.
The director-general’s response also clarified that removal, impounding and storage charges are fixed approved costs and are applied uniformly, rather than being calculated according to the type or value of each vehicle.
Separate records are maintained for vehicles subject to administrative and legal action, including details of violations, removal and impounding dates.
Where several vehicles belonging to different owners are sold in one auction, the municipality said each vehicle is valued separately, while the auction itself is conducted through the appointed auction company and the relevant authority.
Owners are notified from the beginning of the process through the violation sticker placed on the vehicle. If the owner fails to respond and the vehicle proceeds through the required stages, the auction is announced through official newspapers and approved media and communication channels.
“For GCC and International number-plate vehicles – the issue follows a different process, but ends up being the same whenever an auction is announced,” said Mr Al Sehli.
The municipality also said it does not retain the proceeds from vehicle sales.
Instead, the full amounts are transferred to the unified government revenue account under the Finance and National Economy Ministry, in accordance with approved financial procedures.
Importantly, if the auction proceeds exceed the outstanding expenses, the owner is entitled to claim the surplus under the applicable legal procedures. Mr Al Sehli said, however, that no surplus had been recorded in previous auctions.
If the costs exceed the auction price, the municipality may seek recovery of the outstanding amount from the vehicle owner, including through the courts where necessary.
The Finance and National Economy Ministry has separately confirmed that government entities can use Mazad’s public-auction services for the electronic sale of government movable assets. Under the arrangement, the ministry pays the auction company’s fees on behalf of the government entity, while sale proceeds are deposited into designated government accounts.
However, government entities cannot simply add valuation, transportation or storage services outside the agreed auction arrangement; such services must be procured separately in accordance with the relevant procurement rules.
mohammed@gdnmedia.bh
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