New laws on abandoned cars "can't come fast enough!"

6.02.02

MP publishes his ideas for tougher powers on abandoned car crime and calls on the Government to "act now" on the shortage of yards able to dispose of cars

Local MP, Edward Davey, today published his ideas for new laws and powers for tackling the problem of abandoned cars. With abandoned cars a major problem in Kingston Borough, Edward Davey has been pushing the Government, the DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency) and the local council to take the matter more seriously for the last three years.

Edward Davey's ideas for new powers come from his experience in Kingston and were produced with the help of the Liberal Democrats' Environment Spokesperson on Kingston Council, Cllr Tricia Bamford. They form the basis of the Liberal Democrats' submission to the Government's national consultation exercise, which was undertaken due to pressure from MPs.

Download the full text of the consultation document as a Word file.

Edward Davey agrees with many of the ideas in the consultation, as they are based on many of the proposals he and other MPs have been urging on the Government for some time. They include:

• A reduction in the notice period councils must give vehicle owners before removing vehicles;
• A reduction in the notice period councils must give owners before vehicles disposal;
• Giving councils powers to remove unlicensed vehicles (previously only held by the DVLA)
• Improvements to councils' access to information about vehicle owners

However, Mr Davey believes Government's proposals do not go far enough in certain areas, including:

• The need for stronger powers to remove abandoned vehicles immediately (rather than after 24 hours) where the vehicle is also unlicensed and also presents a real hazard
• New duties for public officials to identify abandoned vehicles early, to record the whereabouts of the vehicles more effectively and to work across public bodies as necessary
• Stronger powers to prosecute people who illegally use the public highway to store vehicles related to their business activities
• Immediate action to help local authorities dealing with new environmental regulations for the disposal of vehicles, including financial support and improved guidance, as well as more urgent partnership work with the industries involved

Commenting, Edward Davey said: "These new laws can't come fast enough. The blight of abandoned cars has gone on too long and there have been too many "do-nothing" excuses from too many people for far too long. I welcome this consultation, but the Government should have acted more quickly, and now must not delay."