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Police to procure crusher to destroy inoperable vehicles, automobiles with blocked licenses
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Illustration of an excavator and crushed cars. (Shutterstock/File)
T
he National Police Traffic Corps (Korlantas) is planning to procure a vehicle crusher to destroy and recycle automobiles that are no longer operable or those that have had their vehicle registration certificates (STNKs) blocked due to tax arrears.
Korlantas director of registration and identification Brig. Gen. Halim Pagarra said vehicles with STNKs that had been expired for two consecutive years after the five-year validity period would automatically have their registration documents deemed invalid.
“We have applied the policy for the elimination of motorized vehicles under the identification and registration rules, but indeed there are obstacles. We do not have the equipment for crushing and recycling scrap metal,” Halim said as quoted by kompas.com on Tuesday.
The policy was being enforced in order to support provisions under Law No. 22/2009 on road traffic and transportation and National Police Chief Regulation No. 5/2012 on the registration and identification of vehicles, he added.
Halim said the early stages of destroying vehicles would take place only in Greater Jakarta, even though the rules had been applied over the past two years at a national scale.
"We are now making a proposal to the central government on the procurement [of machines]. While preparing that, we will continue to intensify the dissemination of information among the public on rules about destroying vehicles with blocked [STNKs],” he said.
Halim revealed that there had been one Toyota Avanza in which the STNK validity status had been blocked as the owner had not made tax payments for two years in a row.
“The car is now used as a school transportation vehicle. I have received the report from the Jakarta Police,” he said.
Article 74 of the 2009 law stipulates that the invalidation of an STNK can take place if the vehicle is seriously damaged or if the owner does not re-register it at least two years after it has expired.
Furthermore, paragraph 3 of the same article stipulates that motorized vehicles with blocked licenses cannot be registered again. Usage of the vehicle on the streets would therefore automatically be considered illegal.
Based on the regulation, Halim said, other than vehicles in which STNKs had been invalid for two consecutive years, the blocking of documents also applied to vehicles that could no longer operate.
“If a vehicle is badly damaged in a traffic accident, for example, officers will immediately determine whether it can still be used. If not, it will be transported elsewhere and no longer be deemed valid,” Halim said.
“This also applies to vehicles that are […] damaged by natural disasters or those that have not been used for a long time. All actions are taken after the officers confirm with the [vehicle] owners.” (syk)
