Santa Cruz Launches "Plan A" to Expedite Removal of Abandoned Vehicles

Santa Cruz de Tenerife City Council has launched a new strategy, known as "Plan A," to clear abandoned vehicles from public streets. Led by Deputy Police Commissioner Javier Viera, the initiative aims to speed up the slow administrative process that currently keeps these cars on the road for months.

The issue stems from outdated regulations. Councilor Gladis de León explained that current municipal rules, dating back to 1998, make it difficult to remove vehicles without the owner's explicit consent. As a result, it often takes more than seven months to process a car for scrapping, leaving abandoned vehicles to deteriorate in parking spaces across the city.

To address this, the City Council has directed local police to identify abandoned vehicles more quickly and improve communication with owners. The council is now offering to cover the costs of towing and administrative deregistration to encourage owners to hand over their vehicles. Residents are also encouraged to report abandoned cars via the "SC Mejora" mobile app, which helps officers locate and inspect them faster.

While the opposition party, the PSOE, has called for a reform of local laws to better handle the issue, Mayor José Manuel Bermúdez emphasized that the city must balance the need for cleaner streets with strict legal requirements. He noted that while the government is committed to removing these vehicles, they must follow the law to avoid potential legal issues regarding property rights.