Auction centre to end illegal car trade

Manama : With an aim to curb the menace of illegal sale of second-hand cars in the Kingdom, the Capital Municipal Council has decided to open an auto auction centre here.
The foundation stone for the centre will be laid in Tubli within the next 18 months,  authorities stated yesterday.
The auto auction centre project, the first of its kind in the Kingdom, has a plot in Tubli adjacent to Shaikh Isa bin Salman Highway and is currently in its design stage, according to Capital Municipal Council Deputy Chairman Mazen Ahmed Al Umran.
He stressed that eliminating the illegal sale of cars will be the top priority of the auction centre.
“We have had this issue for many years where people park cars in public spaces and roads to display it for sale. Not only are they breaking the law but they are also putting the customers at risk because they are not trusted sellers. They may sell rebuilt cars and customers may naively purchase it from them. The auction centre will be a trusted place where customers can buy without worrying about such risk. We will have high-quality standards and all the cars will be tested before being out on sale,” he said.
“The centre can be used to sell second-hand cars including antique ones. We will invite the major car companies to participate and allocate office space for them inside the centre. They will also have designated areas where they can sell their automobile either at fixed prices or hold auctions. The centre will feature exclusive deals and bargains that would not be available in the market,” he added.
The project has been approved by the Ministry of Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning.
“This concept has already been implemented in Dubai and I believe we can implement it here in Bahrain as well,” he said.