Arabic version: مشغلو شاحنات السحب في كانبيرا يبلغون عن زيادة بلاغات المركبات المتروكة
According to ABC News, Canberra tow truck operators say requests to remove suspected abandoned vehicles have increased, which they link to repair costs, insurance pressures and lower scrap prices. Underground Towing & Salvage owner Josh Harrison said requests to his business had doubled over the past 12 to 18 months to about 10 a week.
Harrison said cars left in publicly accessible underground car parks, apartment basements and commercial lots can go unnoticed for longer than vehicles on roadsides. He said some vehicles are broken down or uneconomical to repair, while a significant number of those he is asked to remove are uninsured. TNA Towing owner-operator Ally Sweeney said rising comprehensive insurance prices meant some motorists relied only on compulsory third-party cover, which does not cover towing or removal.
On private property, the ACT’s Uncollected Goods Act requires a landowner or body corporate to hold an abandoned vehicle for 14 days while making reasonable efforts to identify and contact its owner. On public unleased land, including roadsides, nature strips and government parks, Access Canberra can tow a vehicle after it has been formally declared abandoned.
Access Canberra senior director Bob Alford said officers must investigate ownership and intent before making that declaration. While the government has an indicator targeting resolution within nine calendar days, he said cases commonly take four to six weeks, particularly when owners are difficult to locate. Between January 1, 2022 and July 6, 2026, 11,574 abandoned-vehicle reports were lodged through Fix My Street. Of about 1,300 reports submitted in the last financial year, around 160 qualified for contracted removal.
Government figures may not reflect every abandoned vehicle because several reports can concern the same car, one submission can involve multiple vehicles, and some cars are removed privately before investigations finish. The number of Fix My Street reports almost halved after anonymous reporting was removed in March 2024, although Alford said the change improved investigations. Sweeney said motorists should seek professional advice before abandoning a vehicle.
