A clean-up action in the city of Faro last week brought about the removal of 12 abandoned vehicles with a further 70 notices having been served with regard to other vehicles. Last year the council removed 180 abandoned cars. Under protocols adopted by the National Association of Municipalities (ANMP), a vehicle will be removed after 30 days of uninterrupted parking when there are obvious signs of abandonment.

With the cooperation of the Public Security Police (PSP), owners of abandoned vehicles are notified, where possible, of the council’s intention to remove the vehicle and have 45 days to do so themselves, or face the full cost of removal by the council. Supposedly abandoned vehicles are identified by the PSP with a sticker marking the beginning of a process that could lead to their removal. In a press release, the municipal council states that: “To help the city and county, owners should submit vehicles at the end of their life to the decontamination units, at no cost, thus avoiding the car being towed away by the city of Faro, with the consequent high costs.”