Friday, March 29, 2024 | Ramadan 18, 1445 H
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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

Think before you buy used vehicles from abroad

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The Directorate-General for Traffic at the Royal Oman Police (ROP) has called upon people who look up for buying vehicles from abroad to ensure the vehicles’ safety and durability.


It advised them to make sure that the imported vehicles weren’t exposed to any road accidents, neither were subjected to fire or drowning due to hurricanes, floods or in wadis.


This can be checked through different websites that allow customers to view the history of these vehicles online by logging on and entering the chassis number and other details.


The ROP also identified that vehicles permitted for import shouldn’t exceed seven years from the date of manufacture for salon and private cars, 10 years for trucks and 15 years for equipment.


The decision, which was issued by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry in July 2015 and implemented in cooperation with the ROP, is to regulate import of vehicles which is increasing in the past few years.


Statistics have shown that many cars exceeding the stipulated age lack safety and durability, cause serious accidents and consecutively many fatalities because of their unserviceability.


They are also harmful to environment and human health. Besides, the cost of their disposal is much more than their original value.


Article 8 of the same decision, stipulates that the vendors and individuals who prefer second-hand cars to consider the Sultanate’s authorised standards before buying imported vehicles.


On the other hand, there are scores of used car vendors specialised in importing used cars from various countries affected by natural calamities or road accidents. One can spot a flurry of advertisements for used cars from these countries and are sold for desirably lower prices than actual cost, and they say the market is really ripe for such cars.


“I have been importing cars either affected by natural calamities or met with some serious accidents and get them at cheaper price and ship them to Oman,” says a used car vendor who specialises in pre-owned vehicles.


“I bear all the expenses of shipment to Oman and the repair costs, but still they fetch good money to me,” he adds.


It is said that some of these vendors are even buying these vehicles which are sold at scrap price and do all the salvage works and sold them in the market, and people prefer such cars just because they are of a foreign origin.


Zainab al Nassri


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