The Ministry of Public Works and Transport has informed the public and vehicle owners who have bought used vehicles without the previous owner’s information to apply for ownership transfer documents from the authorities.

The process to transfer ownership without any acknowledgement from the previous owner was created on March 13.

It is designed to assist the public who own used vehicles but do not know the previous owners to obtain supporting documents and have the transfer of ownership completed.

These supporting documents include the ownership transfer form with the finger print of the person requesting the transfer, vehicle information, original vehicle identity card and number plates.

Both buyers and sellers must give the copy of their identity cards to authenticate the transfers with the authorities. Also, foreigners have to bring along a valid passport and certificate of occupancy.

The owners of the vehicle must have an invoice certifying the payment of tax for it, and the sale and purchase document acknowledged by administrative police, the ministry said.

“With this announcement, the ministry’s director-general of the General Department of Transport, all municipal and provincial Department of Public Works and Transport and other related institutions must implement and fulfil their duties effectively,” it said.

Ministry secretary of state and spokesman Pal Chandara, and Heang Sotheayuth, the spokesman and director of the Department of Information and Public Relations claimed they were too busy to comment.

Institute for Road Safety director Kong Ratanak said he supported the move as finding the previous owners was tricky. The new procedure, he said, should make such transfers easier.

However, he urged the ministry to find an even easier way to accomplish such transfers to ensure convenience for owners. “Doing so should be as cheap as possible, he said.