Abandoned cars increase as a result of economic crisis

THE economic crisis has caused a significant increase in the number of cars abandoned on public roads.

The annual report from local police in Inca, Mallorca, states that in 2013 there were 351 incidences of cars being abandoned, compared with the 231 cases from 2012. This reflects a 45 per cent increase. The number of notices placed on these vehicles before towing them away has also increased dramatically.

Police believe that in most of these cases, families can no longer afford to keep their vehicles. With costs like vehicle repairs, maintenance, and insurance, proper care is out of reach for families hit by the economic crisis. Police sources also say that they have heard cases where even keeping petrol in the tank is sometimes out of reach for people who have been hard hit.

In these cases, the town hall treats these vehicles as waste. They are handed over to an authorised ‘gestor’ who pays the town council €110 per vehicle and who then handles the details from there.