SHARJAH // Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, the supreme council member and Ruler of Sharjah, has ordered police in the emirate to confiscate any vehicle causing a public nuisance by using illegal and loud modifications.
Police have been clamping down on modified cars for the past few months, with 120 impounded last month - including 50 in one day. They will now step up their efforts.
Maj General Humaid Mohammed Al Hudaidi said: "The year-long campaign is also targeting youths who drive at breakneck speed causing a nuisance and panic in residential areas. They do this even when they know there are fines for these violations."
He said the new campaign would tackle reckless driving and allow police to impound the violating cars and motorbikes permanently.
"No excuses will be tolerated after a car is found to be committing these violations and all police officers are obliged to confiscate the car without compassion," he said.
Emirates Road near the National Paints factory, Al Wahda Road and Al Arouba Road in Rolla in Sharjah are popular with drivers of modified cars.
Maj Gen Al Hudaidi said any car, regardless of its emirate of registration, must obey the new ruling once it enters Sharjah. He warned that garages and workshops found to be carrying out modifications on exhausts and engines would also be closed permanently.
The ruling has caused some confusion among motorists in Sharjah over which types of exhausts are now banned.
"There are some cars where loud exhausts are part of the original design from the manufacturer, like Lamboghinis and Ferraris. Not all cars have had to go to workshops," said a Ferrari owner.
However, for most residents, especially the elderly, the decision comes as a relief. "We always have to close the windows on a Thursday night to minimise the noise reaching our mother in our flat at Al Arouba Street," said Ali Muhsin, a resident of the Al Nabba area. "We have even thought of giving up this flat because it's on the road and the youths are so reckless with their expensive cars."