Report abandoned vehicles through SMS, WhatsApp, e-mail

The Bombay High Court has notified the Maharashtra state government and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to setup a toll-free number and email account for citizens to report abandoned vehicles before September 19, 2018. 

The court has asked the authorities to maintain a record of the complaints received on the toll-free number as well as through email, WhatsApp and SMS along with complaint numbers and the action taken. The government has been asked to book the owners of the abandoned vehicles under the provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act, Motor Vehicles Rule and the Maharashtra Police Act.

Once a complaint is received, the BMC can seize the vehicles under Section 314 of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act, 1884. At first, a notice will be pasted on the vehicle and if it is not moved in the next 48 hours, the vehicle will be towed away to a scrapyard. A list of seized vehicles is sent to the local and traffic police and the Crime Branch to check if it has been reported stolen. If nobody claims the vehicle after 3 months, the BMC auctions it off. If an owner does come forward, he/she is charged a fine of Rs. 15,000 per vehicle.

Source: Mumbai Mirror