Dubai: Driving a rental car in the UAE and think you were flashed by a speed radar? If you receive a traffic fine, the responsibility falls on you, the driver, to pay it.
While the payment process can be slightly different when you are in a rented car – as compared to a car that is registered under your name – it is important to address the matter, because according to experts who spoke to Gulf News, you can face legal consequences if you fail to settle the fine.
Here is what you need to know.
What happens if a rental car gets a traffic fine?
According to Zeeshan Hassan Abdulrahman, the CEO of Prox Car Rental, before you rent a car, you will be asked to provide a deposit using a credit card, to block a certain amount of money for such scenarios. The actual amount that is blocked varies from company to company, and you will be informed of the exact amount in advance.
“If the car is still under the customer’s possession [when the fine shows up in the system], the customer will pay for it but in case, the fine comes in after they have returned the car, the rental company will charge the amount on the customer’s credit card,” he said.
“At times, if the fines are more than the ‘blocked amount’, we request the customer to transfer the money to our company account so that we can clear the fines,” he added.
Abdulrahman highlighted that if the customer does not pay the fines, the agency can file a civil case against them.
How do I know if I got a traffic fine?
Issa Hanna, the owner of Rent and Ride Car Rental, explained that since traffic fines are imposed on the vehicle, the car rental agency is informed by the police if a traffic violation has occurred.
“We inform the customer immediately that they have received a fine when we get the SMS from Dubai Police and ask them to pay the fine. In case they don’t, the agency pays for it and we add the fine to the total invoice,” Hanna said.
He also stated that it is always important to ask the rental company on their policy regarding traffic fines and to always read the terms and conditions.
Both experts who spoke with Gulf News also clarified that it is a good practice to check yourself if you have traffic fines online using the car’s plate number.
If you are driving in Dubai, you can check the fines through the ‘Dubai Police’ app, or through the unified call centre – 901. If you are in Abu Dhabi, you can find your traffic fines on the ‘TAMM’ app and for other emirates, you can use the Ministry of Interior (MOI) app or call centre - 8005000
