Laura Sharman 15 February 2018

Abandoned cars have cost councils £1m over past two years

Councils are being forced to remove an abandoned car every 30 minutes, according to a new investigation.

The freedom of information request, conducted by Confused.com, reveals that the number of cars abandoned on the roadside has increased six-fold in the last four years.

Although councils spent almost £1m removing 32,000 cars in 2016 and 2017, they only issued £116,000 in fines over the same period. According to the data, councils were also responsible for destroying 20,551 of the seized vehicles.

The scrapyard map from Confused.com reveals that councils in the South East removed the most unwanted vehicles throughout 2016 and 2017 by taking care of 6,264 vehicles.

Amanda Stretton, motoring editor at Confused.com, said: 'The rising cost of fuel, car insurance and tax is overwhelming some motorists, causing some of them to ditch their vehicles when they breakdown.

'Our interactive map shows just how much of an issue this has become across Britain, as councils spend hundreds of thousands of pounds every year removing unwanted cars from the roadside.'

SIGN UP
For your free daily news bulletin
Highways jobs

HR Onboarding Officer (CDC)

City Of Doncaster Council
Grade 7, £27,259 - £29,955 (Pay award pending)
You have an opportunity to be part of a busy Human Resources team which offers HR support across the Council. Doncaster, South Yorkshire
Recuriter: City Of Doncaster Council

Purchase to Pay Administrator (Fixed Term) - WMF2122e

Westmorland and Furness Council
£25,584 - £25,992
We are looking for an Administrator to join our Purchase to Pay and Accounts Receivables team Cumbria / Various
Recuriter: Westmorland and Furness Council

Social Worker - WMF2123e

Westmorland and Furness Council
£41,511 - £42,708
We’re looking for passionate social workers to join our team in Kendal following a recent reshape of our services. Kendal, Cumbria
Recuriter: Westmorland and Furness Council

Environmental Health Officer

Wyre Borough Council
£38,626 - £41,511
We are looking to appoint a full time Environmental Health Officer within the Environmental Protection and Community Safety Department. Poulton-Le-Fylde, Lancashire
Recuriter: Wyre Borough Council

Trainee Graduate Accountant

Wyre Borough Council
£25,992 - £37,938
Are you looking to kickstart your career in Finance? Poulton-Le-Fylde, Lancashire
Recuriter: Wyre Borough Council
Linkedin Banner