The London district that houses Qatar-owned department store Harrods has announced plans to take action against the noise and inconvenience caused by supercars in the area.
Each summer, hundreds of tourists, mainly from the Gulf, travel to the UK, bringing with them their luxury vehicles.
Many of these visitors congregate around popular hotspots, such as Harrods, revving their engines, parking illegally and generally creating a nuisance in the area, according to UK residents.
To curb the problem, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, home to Harrods, has been discussing plans to impose fines on car owners who cause problems in their neighborhoods.
According to a statement on the district’s website, the borough plans to launch its crackdown by introducing a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO), a new measure that targets public activities that have a detrimental effect on a community’s quality of life.
New measure
The PSPO would make it illegal to rev engines; drive in a convoy; perform stunts in a car; sound horns (that cause a public nuisance); play music loudly from a car; and to cause obstruction on a public road, such as parking illegally.
Speaking to the Telegraph this week, local council member Quentin Marshall explained why he was campaigning for the new law:
“The noise goes on all day but is worse in the evenings and at night. That’s when it’s most disturbing. It used to be limited to the summer but now it’s becoming pretty much all year round. We are just trying to stop these people who are abusing the rules and using their cars to make a very loud noise.”
Those found in breach of the PSPO would be liable for a fine of up to £100 ($155) or possible criminal prosecution and a fine of up to £1,000 ($1,555.) Repeat offenders risk having their vehicles confiscated.
The PSPO would be focused on the area surrounding Harrods in Knightsbridge. A map of the boundary can be viewed here.
The Kensington and Chelsea borough council are inviting views from the general public on the plans until Sept. 20. They will then produce a final report in the fall, and if approved, the new regulations are likely to be in place by next summer.
Local upset
Two years ago, a British TV documentary sparked debate after it highlighted complaints about rich, young Khaleeji men turning London’s streets into their own personal playground in their imported supercars.
The film, “Millionaire Boy Racers,” provoked discussion about multiculturalism and tolerance in the wealthy London area.
In a recent article on the subject, the Telegraph interviewed some local residents about the proposed new laws, and the effect the summer “supercar season” has had on their lives.
Financier Max Engelhard told the newspaper:
“I think that would be a great idea. Particularly around Harrods there are always Kuwaitis driving in their Lamborghinis. They use my square as a racing track.”
Angela Stone, a retired teacher, told the newspaper that she found the practice “completely unnecessary:”
“They just go round and round hoping to be looked at. They get out their diamond studded cars and pose in them. It’s like an expensive Spanish resort without the sun. It is irritating and completely unnecessary. I do understand how they upset residents.”
In addition to noise complaints, the borough also takes issue with the fact that so many parking fines imposed on foreign cars go unpaid.
From 2007 to 2010, foreign drivers failed to pay 36,332 parking tickets in the borough, leaving the council £3,776,490 out of pocket, according to the Telegraph.
London’s councils are often unable to chase debts from foreign owners because they have no way of finding out how to contact them once they have left the country.
Thoughts?
![[Getty]](https://dohanews.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/GettyImages-1763609272-560x420.jpg)
Oh look, they’re just practicing the so-called Arabian’s “tradition”. Khaleejis, that is not Doha Corniche nor Katara, please learn how to respect other territories.
bad habit and im with you 100% , this Khaleeji thing should be stopped even here in GCC
What greater way to show respect than to demonstrate to another country how much you love your stay at their home that you feel comfortable practicing your local traditions there. 🙂
well for once Gaga didn’t say anything wrong , its not even a tradition , its a thing made up by Youths and does not represent the Traditional Khaleejis 🙂
Well, its not like the UK is not benefiting for this.. its like a trade off.. locals will get annoyed but in the other hand, other subs are gaining such as the :government, insurance companies, carriers, hotels, VIP parking lots and shopping for luxury items are mainly financed by these guys.
Can’t believe you wrote that either.
I think the UK would be just fine without excessive luxury shopping of a few hundred people. You are overestimating the financial impact. Think of the money lost from people wanted to avoid the idiots.
Agreed. This action is from the local council, but we apparently have silence from the national government — which could, as many posters have noted, easily solve the problem by checking cars that are being exported for fines and collecting them from the departing travelers. It seems apparent that the UK government tolerates this, which has been ongoing for years, because the benefits of being the global destination of choice for some big spenders outweigh the downsides.
Pretty sure those are mostly European supercars.
I did too, an Arab supercar would be a camel on steroids.
Lol!
Tbh that doesnt make sense at all , saying they cannot chase the owners of the violating cars ..
in each country Ministry of interior – there is a department called Interntional Cooperation – they can go thru it to get that person contact info or even Force him to Pay to his Local country Traffic police department , then the Traffic police will remit it to UK ..
the Person who told DN that the county cant chase the owners with due respect is full of crap ..
That’s not how it works. There has to be some sort of partnership and the system needs to be automated. The Qatari MOI does not have to do the job of their British peers. They can impound cars if they want rather than give fines, and that’s a much better option. But issuing fines and expecting Qatar to do their job and chase the offenders doesn’t make sense.
i understand clearly what you say @disqus_7UUk6IAZSG:disqus but those departments are made for those things , Qatar/UK relations are more than good on Both ministries level and business .
On ways of tackling unpaid fines, they can take a lesson or two from MoI Qatar. I don’t understand why it is so difficult to have a computerized Traffic Fine Management system with online updation of the fines, as and when it happens. They can be stopped and asked to pay up at the immigration counter when they exit the country !!
Yes, exactly. Why should anyone, national or expat, be allowed to leave Qatar, and take their cars, when they have outrageous outstanding fines in the MoI system. Why is no one collecting the fines from these people?
Would love to hear Jeremy Clarkson’s comment on this, but sadly..!
we all miss him tbh
Oh yeah Jeremy Clarkson, tjat gem of an individual who punched an assisfant because his food wasnt ready on time. What was he thinking that they were his slaves? The Victorian era ended long ago. But the relics from that era still exist. And there were a million d**ch*b*ga who went ahead and signed a petition to reinstate him. BBC have been too considerate to him. The Hulk just got thrown out from WWE for using the n word while he got a slap in his wrist.
The solution is easy, if they (both Qatar and the UK) seriously want one. From Qatar’s side, ban QA and other airlines from taking cars of Qataris onboard. If not, then the UK should automatically confiscate for two weeks the cars of non-EU residents for the slightest issue, be it bad parking, engine revving or anything minor or major that goes against the law. A very simple solution that does not require both governments to meet or agree on anything.
Great comment from DarkQTR below who thinks we should be grateful for them ruining our neighbourhoods because we ought to feel honoured to have their presence and the wealth it brings in our country? We have many rich people and of many nationalities visit the UK but the overwhelming majority (almost exclusively) of those that are making Chelsea and Kensington a misery for the residents are from Middle Eastern countries – and that is a fact. Would these idiots be happy if I drove my noisy car round their private homes till the early hours to keep them awake in their country? I can just imagine the reaction. They should keep their total lack of consideration in their own country – not in countries where people respect others.
It’s not them you clown, watch the vid posted below.
Don’t get your point. At the end of the video he totally agrees that they’re disturbing the neighbourhood, and of course at night there is less background noise to mask the noise of the cars.
I totally agree! as per the saying of my villagers – your mommy is mommy, mine is dummy!
Well.. I never mentioned that the locals should be grateful.. Or even implied for it.. I simply said its annoying but also it could be beneficial for the country.. I also forget to mention that most of these drivers are people from ruling families.. Thus, Im talking about about extreme weath+political power..
Also, if you want my opinion regarding this matter “which I never mentioned”.. I’m not only ashamed for their behaviour.. But honestly.. When I see a super car with Qatari plate.. Violating laws and annoying people.. I feel the guilt of how Qataris are misrepresenting our country
P.s I truly love to arugy and read other people’s opinion.. Jumping it your own conclusions without knowing mine is just not right..especially when you point fingers at me like that
I have mixed feelings on this. OK it’s showy and annoying. If you think about it the lads are just having fun. I live between London and NYC this does not happen in NYC at all and they are similar cities. I will admit to a twinge of “hey isn’t NYC good enough to show off in” envy/jealousy. Point being you might actually miss it when it’s gone.
NYPD would (and does) impound cars routinely for this sort of behavior. Rightly so.
I can’t believe you wrote that.
I did edit it sharply. I didn’t understand what in my original comment would label me a golddigger. Maybe I was being too sensitive.
Yes you might miss it if you are a car enthusiast or a golddigger -_-
Impound the cars if their drivers are using them dangerously, regardless of the drivers’ nationality.
The cars can be released when the owner leave the country. Ban the offending car from returning in future. Appropriate fines can be levied to recoup the administrative costs of doing this, but they’re useless as a deterrent.
Exactly, they must have existing laws to deal with this stuff. They should also be registering each infraction /complaint and stop into a data base to monitor repeat offenders. However on big scheme of things,this is nuisance nothing much more.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxLDItrQoWc
Interesting video…
Typical racist dogs.
You are intending to be insulting–but actually dogs are much nicer than humans–love unconditionally and have a good souls–they are not interested in what someone has or whether they are rich or poor or beautiful or ugly. Racing cars is a residential neighborhood is showing off one’s wealth and feelings of superiority.
A dog is not a swear word. I have a dog and I am offended.
But again, you are special “Saleem”
And why racist? I just wish you could EVER make sense man… heheh keep’m coming humorous Saleem.
Another lame essay from Akmal, get a life fool.
Good video, shows the love for cars is universal and not limited to rich Arabs as some in London would like us to believe. I am sure here are many local Londoners with loud tuner cars as well.
It’s Londons own fault if they cannot collect more parking tickets as 1) don’t allow cars to leave Country with fines unpaid-take a page out of exiting Qatar, 2) take another page and don’t let those who owe leave or return without payment. If they don’ have sufficient laws already on books to curb the nonsense by 2015, were they asleep until now? Plus those fines mentioned will only hurt the local car types and not the expats.
Surely the customs people in the UK could just check cars being exported from the country for outstanding fines? Simple rule – Pay or otherwise your car doesn’t get shipped to wherever. Gulf or anywhere doesn’t matter.
Or…..just dont let them bring their cars with them likes its checked baggage. Problem solved.
Very scary: “Liable for a fine of up to £100!!!!”
First offense: £10, Second £50, …. up to £100 ?
if the fines were the same here in qatar id park wrongly everyday hhahaha
Better plan. Provide tax incentives for Brits to purchase trucks. Then have a policy to allow trucks to simply push the offending cars from the motorway. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2706286/That-teach-Furious-pickup-truck-driver-smashes-car-parked-badly.html I bet that Bugatti is less attractive with its door caved in.
This makes the rest of us Qataris look bad. Do they really have to make noise at all hours of the day? Can’t they just drive their nice car and seek attention quietly and safely. If they can’t play by the rules then the UK should ban the entry of foreign cars that come for short amounts of time.
Guy cleans his car on one of London’s busiest roads. he’s from………
http://metro.co.uk/2015/07/28/rich-moron-creates-traffic-jam-on-busy-london-road-by-cleaning-his-540000-car-5316880/
I think they should make sure the fines are in the system and prevent them leaving the country if has not been paid. They should also increase the fines to make the most of the wealth, maybe £10,000 per hour of noise then confiscate the car and give them a 1yr ban from the area/country.
There goes the neighborhood
This seems impossible, as Qataris are always quite vocal about respecting local culture and customs when abroad. Or does that only apply to visitors to Qatar?
Maybe they need a campaign with people canvassing the Harrods with fliers that say respect our culture or leave.
Quite often cycle from Kensington Palace Gardens back to Hampstead and pass Harrods, plenty of these cars about after Eid. It’s a bit sad if you feel the need to show off, but these guys are young, they’ll grow out of it.
Can’t see any harm in it.