Abandoned vehicle problem 2 - Assignment Example

?Abandoned Vehicle Problem 2 Summary In recent years, the need for protecting the global environment has emerged as one of the prime concerns for global citizens. In this era of globalisation and industrialisation, a significant extent of causes related to environmental degradation has become man-made. One of such kind of issues has been the concern of abandoned vehicles. It has been found that countries such as New Zealand have in place a well-thought procedure to deal with abandoned vehicles, based on the method of categorisation. It is observed that these vehicles can bring about certain uncalled-for social or community concerns such as fire in these vehicles, leakage of hazardous liquids from the vehicles and the use of such vehicles for certain criminal activities among others. Therefore, Saudi Arabia, which can be termed as one of emerging nations, needs to upgrade its existing mechanism to deal with the abandoned vehicles related problem which can facilitate not only social well-being but environmental protection as well. Table of Contents Summary 2 Introduction 4 Policies and Practices of New Zealand Government on Removing Abandoned Vehicles 5 Video Related to the Issue 6 The Risk of Abandoned Vehicles Problem 7 Comparison of the Process of New Zealand and KSA for Dealing with Abandoned Vehicles 9 Conclusion 12 References 13 Introduction In relation to the rapid pace of globalisation, it has been apparent that the nations often face different challenges in terms of protecting their environmental position. From the observation of different cases, it has been found that the continuously increasing number of abandoned vehicles is creating a major and prominent issue for the countries to protect their environmental effectiveness. In accordance with the present rising growth of global economic performance, the problems associated with abandoned vehicles are significantly affecting the environmental policies along with the efficiency concerning the governmental regulations (Center for Problem Oriented Policing, 2008). Therefore, the primary purpose of this report is to bring adequate insights and awareness towards the adverse effects of abandoned vehicles within the periphery of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). In this regard, the discussion of this report will be focused on highlighting the present ever-increasing negative impacts of abandoned vehicles on street within the environment of KSA. The discussion of the report would mainly incorporate four major aspects namely, the removal policies and practices of the abandoned vehicles in New Zealand (NZ), which has apparently been able to control this issue by a considerable extent along with analysing their process in order to maintain an appropriate mechanism. A short related video is also presented concerning the issue of abandoned vehicles. Moreover, the report would also focus on identifying the potential risks of abandoned vehicles problem in KSA as well as comparing the removal policies of both the countries regarding the growing issue of abandoned vehicles. Policies and Practices of New Zealand Government on Removing Abandoned Vehicles Abandoned vehicles can be regarded as a major and leading problematic concern for the global nations which tend to create significant obstacles in the countries’ motor vehicle regulations. In relation to the governmental regulations and policies regarding the issue of abandoned vehicles, it has been observed that New Zealand possesses a well-built regulatory process which incorporates adequate policies to ensure the reduction of the issues associated with abandoned vehicles. The ‘Local Government Amendment Act (No. 6)’ of the year 1992 is responsible for dealing with the problems arising from abandoned vehicles within the country. The policies underneath the Act involve certain distinct processes for protecting vehicles from blocking roadways or inhibiting traffic flows within different districts of the country (Kapiti Coast District Council, 2013). The policies further ensure to take adequate measures against the abandoned vehicles in accordance with their category of being abandoned. In relation to the policies within the ‘Local Government Amendment Act (No 6) of 1992’, the government of New Zealand tends to maintain effective processes in terms of effectively dealing with the issues relating to abandoned vehicles (Parliament Counsel Office, n.d.). In this context, the law tends to segregate abandoned vehicles within a category among its three major criterions. These categories can be regarded as the major aspects which are significantly different in accordance with their legal requirements. The categories underneath the policies of abandoned vehicles in NZ have been clearly defined in the following diagram: Category Description A The vehicles which have neither licence label and/or number plate B The vehicles which do not have both licence label and number plate C The vehicles which have number plates but have expired for not more than 6 months Source: (Parliament Counsel Office, n.d.) Fig: Images of Abandoned Vehicles in New Zealand Video Related to the Issue Fig: Video Depicting Abandoned Vehicles in New Zealand Source: (Youtube, 2008) The Risk of Abandoned Vehicles Problem The increasing number of abandoned vehicles significantly generates various risk factors which can severely impact the environment. In relation to the various observations, it has been determined that the abandoned vehicles tend to carry certain risks which can also create different environmental and safety related issues. Moreover, it can also cause to increase the amount of hazardous wastes and can further pose fire related risks. Additionally, the abandoned vehicles have often been witnessed to be utilised for criminal activities which can also create a significant challenge for the government (Environmental Protection Agency, n. d.). In relation to the environmental related risks, the abandoned vehicles are likely to create hazardous wastes and generate a considerable extent of trash within the environment where they are left unattended. In various scenarios, the abandoned vehicles have also been observed to catch fire and deteriorate the overall environmental effectiveness in a particular community. Contextually, the risks associated with abandoned vehicles have often been witnessed in terms of utilising vehicles for any crime related activities. Due to the unavailability of the licence label and number plate, the abandoned vehicles are often being used to create significant insurgencies within the communities. Therefore, it can be apparently identified that the abandoned vehicles bear significant risks for the countries which can have an impact on the effectiveness of environment and safety related issues (Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, 2004). Additionally, the abandoned vehicles often bear risk of explosion or injury as they generally leak hazardous fluids which can certainly catch fire. Moreover, the dangerous fluids of the abandoned vehicles can contaminate water streams which can further cause vulnerable diseases to the surrounding communities. Therefore, a lack of action by the concerned authorities in relation to the abandoned vehicle problem can generate significant risks that can endanger not only the environment, but also jeopardise lives and properties (Maxfield, 2008). Comparison of the Process of New Zealand and KSA for Dealing with Abandoned Vehicles In relation to the present day context, the growing number of abandoned vehicles has emerged to be a critical issue as well as a challenge affecting not only the surrounding communities but the environment as well. In the context of KSA, the region has also been witnessed to experience the threats of the abandoned vehicles in different states of the region. The comparison of the principles and guiding laws along with practices of the government regarding the continuous threats of the abandoned vehicles of NZ and KSA have been discussed in the following part. In accordance with the current statistics, the number of abandoned vehicles is fiercely increasing which has been witnessed as a major challenge for the government of KSA. The laws and the guiding principles of the region constitute certain measures concerning the removal of the abandoned vehicles (Mohammed & Al-Subiani, 2013). In this regard, the governmental councils of the KSA monitor suspected abandoned vehicles through examining the vehicles’ condition and take immediate measures or actions after the completion of 10 days observation. After the observation period, the legal owner of the vehicle is informed by the council through putting pre-abandoned notice on the vehicle (Johnson, 2010). A notice is kept for 15 days along with the verifying plate number and chassis details by the police as well as taking measures in accordance with the abandoned policy and regulations placed in KSA. The abandoned vehicles are confiscated and they are kept for 6 months prior to disposal. If the legal owner of the abandoned vehicle claims for the vehicle within the 6 months, the owner is charged a fee of Dh700 to release the vehicle from the police (Mohammed & Al-Subiani, 2013; Al-Hamid, 2012). In accordance with the law constituted for abandoned vehicles in NZ, the policies tend to effectively examine the condition of the vehicles along with its legal owner before abandoning any road side vehicle. Moreover, the council of the country maintains adequate regulations along with making practical judgements related to the vehicles before declaring them as abandoned. Additionally, the categorisation of the vehicles into different abandoned categories has also been witnessed within NZ. After categorising a vehicle into its respective category, the council tends to inform the local police and subsequently stores the vehicle in a safe and protective place. The requirement of notifying the local police is generally applicable for each category after the council has declared a vehicle as abandoned. In the context of storage of the abandoned vehicles, the council generally tends to place the vehicles in a safe place and ensure not to store any vehicle in a place where it likely to be destroyed. In this regard, the council tends to store vehicles as per their storage requirements in accordance with their prevailed abandoned categories. For instance, the vehicles under the categories of “A” & “B” are safely stored until a reasonable effort towards identifying the legal owner has been done. On the other hand, the vehicles within “C” Category are stored for one month while the efforts associated with identifying and locating the actual and legal owners of the vehicles are made (Parliament Counsel Office, n.d.). In case of any security interest, the legal holder of the vehicle is informed prior to the intention of selling or disposing the abandoned vehicle. In terms of selling or disposing the abandoned vehicles, the council also tends to notify its intention through media by clearly mentioning the detailed information about the vehicle along with mentioning the place from where it was abandoned. In this regard, the council provides detailed information relating to the chassis number, colour, model along with the abandoned location of the vehicle through the daily newspapers (Parliament Counsel Office, n.d.). Conclusion In relation to the aforesaid discussion, it has been apparently observed that laws, guiding principles along with measures of NZ signify the incorporation of a set of effective practices in terms of dealing with the issue concerning abandoned vehicles. The country tends to practice strict guidelines in terms of categorising vehicles in accordance with their abandoned position along with ensuring to minimise the potential risks and hazards from the abandoned vehicles. There are a few measures concerning abandoned vehicles can also be considered as quite moderate in KSA. However, the regulations along with the guiding principles of the region should highly stress upon determining the measures for eradicating the presence of a large number of abandoned vehicles on street. In this context, the categorisation of vehicles in accordance with their condition can render adequate control for the government to efficiently deal with the increasing number of abandoned vehicle within KSA. Moreover, the integration of strict measures concerning the disposal practices of the abandoned vehicles can further ensure the region to protect its environmental condition along with shielding lives from the hazardous fluids and other vulnerable risks generated from the abandoned vehicles. References Al-Hamid, N., 2012. Jeddah, a City of Abandoned Cars! Arab News. [Online] Available at: http://arabnews.com/node/411982 [Accessed July 12, 2013]. Environmental Protection Agency, No Date. Developing an Abandoned Vehicle Clean-up Program for Tribal Governments. Abandoned Vehicle Guide. [Online] Available at: http://www.epa.gov/region9/waste/tribal/pdf/Abandoned_Vehicle_Guide.pdf [Accessed July 12, 2013]. Johnson, A., 2010. Abandoned Vehicles Left to Rot in Dubai. Gulf News. [Online]. Available at: http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/traffic-transport/abandoned-vehicles-left-to-rot-in-dubai-1.656059 [Accessed July 12, 2013]. Kapiti Coast District Council, 2013. Abandoned Vehicles. Your Council. [Online] Available at: http://www.kapiticoast.govt.nz/Your-Council/A---Z-Council-Services-andFacilities/Abandoned-Vehicles/ [Accessed July 12, 2013]. Maxfield, M. G., 2008. Abandoned Vehicles. Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS). [Online] Available at: http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/Publications/e080821166.pdf [Accessed July 12, 2013]. Mohammed, I. & Al-Subiani, K., 2013. Jeddah Targets Abandoned Cars. Arab News. [Online] Available at: http://arabnews.com/news/447523 [Accessed July 12, 2013]. Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, 2004. Nuisance and Abandoned Vehicles: A Guide for the Public. Dover District Council. [Online] Available at: http://www.dover.gov.uk/Recycling--Waste/Encams-Guide-to-Nuisance-and-Abandoned-Vehicles.pdf [Accessed July 12, 2013]. Parliament Counsel Office, No Date. Removal of Abandoned Vehicles from Roads. Public [Online] Available at: http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1974/0066/latest/DLM420702.html [Accessed July 12, 2013]. Youtube, 2008. Beautiful Abandoned Cars. Youtube. [Online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_Cu7rOCuzU [Accessed July 12, 2013]. Read More