A total of 471 abandoned cars were removed from the streets over the past two years, amid efforts to clean up roads and free up parking spaces for licenced vehicles, Transport Malta said.
New legislative amendments announced last week by the transport regulator will make it quicker and easier to remove such vehicles.
“The legislative amendments to SL 65.13 have rendered the process for the effective removal and disposal of abandoned vehicles more efficient,” an agency spokesperson told Times of Malta.
“Whereas, previously, it was mandatory to auction all vehicles removed from the road, today, if a vehicle is unsellable, the authority can proceed to scrap it in a duly licensed facility.”
Transport Malta towed 350 vehicles in 2019 and 121 vehicles in 2020.
“Now, by means of these legislative amendments, the number of abandoned vehicles removed from the roads will increase by no small measure,” Transport Malta said.
Most costs for the exercise are recouped by Transport Malta through the sale by the vehicles by auction as people whose vehicles end up being scrapped or sold will not be able to register new vehicles on their names before settling their dues.
“In the case of scrapped vehicles, the debts due by the licensee are civil debts and the normal course of action will be pursued to recover such debts.
“Also, in terms of applicable regulations, any licensee of a vehicle who has licence or similar arrears thereon is precluded from registering another vehicle in his name prior to settling such arrears and this constitutes a strong motivation for defaulters to settle their dues,” the spokesperson said.
Under the new rules, owners of abandoned vehicles will have seven days to remove the vehicle.
Enforcement officers will be placing stickers on the windscreens of such vehicles, which include those that cannot be identified or are not roadworthy as well as vehicles with an expired licence which has not been paid within 30 days from the due date.
If the vehicle is removed by the authority, the owner shall be obliged to pay all related expenses and if the return of the vehicle is not requested, the authority shall have the right to auction or scrap it.
“The motivation underlying this initiative is to free up parking spaces which are being unnecessarily taken up by abandoned vehicles. The initiative also goes hand in hand with a wider public cleansing drive being undertaken by the government for the common good,” Transport Malta said.