Question: I recently rented a car in Dubai and allowed my colleague to use it for a day. During this period, he incurred three traffic fines. The rental company has invoiced me for these penalties, requesting payment. My colleague is prepared to cover the expenses, but I am concerned about these fines affecting my record. How can I ensure my record remains unaffected?
Answer: In Dubai, traffic violations result in fines, black points, vehicle confiscation, suspension or cancellation of driving licenses. From your query, it appears that the fines were incurred by your colleague while using the rental car. Consequently, the rental company may have sent you an invoice for these fines. However, if the fines include black points or other severe traffic offenses, these points could be added to your driving license, which you provided when renting the car.
Additionally, if the rental agreement required you to provide details of other drivers and you did not include your colleague, the rental company might also fine you for breaching the rental terms. Ministerial Resolution No. (178) of 2017 outlines the rules and procedures for traffic control, detailing the nature of violations, fines, black points, vehicle retention, and license suspensions.
To clarify the nature of the fines, you should first contact the rental company. If the fines are affecting your driving license and include black points, you might need to contact the Dubai Police or the Road and Transport Authority to explore whether these points can be transferred to your colleague's license by providing his details.
Applicable Law: Ministerial Resolution No. (178) of 2017, which governs Rules and Procedures of Traffic Control, details traffic violations, fines, black points, vehicle retention, and license suspensions.
Ashish Mehta is the founder and Managing Partner of Ashish Mehta & Associates. He is qualified to practice law in Dubai, the United Kingdom, and India. For more information about his firm, visit www.amalawyers.com. Readers can email their questions to news@khaleejtimes.com or send them to Legal View, Khaleej Times, PO Box 11243, Dubai.
