19 July 2013

Abandoned Vehicles in Canberra?

| Ferarri
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I have lived in Canberra for 8 years having moved here from the good old RSA! It is thus not surprising that I find vehicles left on the side of the road, in car parks and nature strips for days (and sometimes) weeks on end, generally free of vandalism.

What is the correct thing to do when I believe a vehicle has been abandoned? Is there a register of sorts where I can report the REGO and vehicle detail? I imagine that in some instances the vehicle may have been stolen and taken for a joyride until the fuel was gone. In these cases, such a register will assist the vehicle owners to be reunited with their vehicles.

Perhaps the Riot-ACT can initiate such a report?

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dtc said :

Sideshowmatt123 said :

I have long wondered whether the number of cars abandoned on Canberra’s roadsides is unusually high. I don’t understand it. The cars seem to be neither old and beat-up, nor a joyrider’s delight

Insurance policies are worth more than the cars? Not that I have thought of that in any way or at any time. I did years ago go on a weekend bus trip and left my car in Civic unlocked with a hope someone would steal it. Not even the spare change was taken. It barely worked as a car anyway, but I was still offended

Leave it in the Dickson Woolies carpark. The drug addled locals will take care of it pronto.

Sideshowmatt123 said :

I have long wondered whether the number of cars abandoned on Canberra’s roadsides is unusually high. I don’t understand it. The cars seem to be neither old and beat-up, nor a joyrider’s delight

Insurance policies are worth more than the cars? Not that I have thought of that in any way or at any time. I did years ago go on a weekend bus trip and left my car in Civic unlocked with a hope someone would steal it. Not even the spare change was taken. It barely worked as a car anyway, but I was still offended

Sideshowmatt123 said :

I have long wondered whether the number of cars abandoned on Canberra’s roadsides is unusually high. I don’t understand it. The cars seem to be neither old and beat-up, nor a joyrider’s delight.

Perhaps it is peculiarly Canberran – something about those enormous empty lengths of suburban arterial? Can former Sydney or Melbourne residents offer any insights?

Are they from people who failed a Random Breath Test? That could also explain why people think it’s a good idea to torch such cars…

Depends on what it is an where it is abandoned….

A Volvo 850 (or similar about 10+years old) parked just beyond the Lady Denman exit onto the Parkway (toward Woden) for a week or so with no damage, no vandalisation.

Currently a old Commodore past the Hindmarsh Drive exit onto the Parkway has had all its wheels/tyres slowly disappear over the last week. Its gone from being on jacks to some nice person pshing it off the jacks. Lovely.

I think as we have a particular few roads here that carry pretty much the majority of all traffic, for a good chunk of the journey so I am guessing the likelihood of seeing these cars is high. In other words, to do your business in canberra you have to generally travel parkway/drakeford/gininderra drive etc. at some point.

RAPID may have something to do with it.

Sideshowmatt1232:24 pm 19 Jul 13

I have long wondered whether the number of cars abandoned on Canberra’s roadsides is unusually high. I don’t understand it. The cars seem to be neither old and beat-up, nor a joyrider’s delight.

Perhaps it is peculiarly Canberran – something about those enormous empty lengths of suburban arterial? Can former Sydney or Melbourne residents offer any insights?

I don’t believe you! Any car I see on the side of the road is torched within 24 hours. See also the news stories about cars being tipped, vandalised etc at the University of Canberra.

But yes, as others have said – the Fix My Street / Canberra Connect service is usually very good!

You can report them to Canberra Connect using the “Fix My Street > Abandoned Vehicles” links

https://www.canberraconnect.act.gov.au/app/ask/c/2825%2C2827

My observation generally is that often they get trashed pretty quickly, or they disappear about a week after being reported (I used to assume they were collected by Canberra Connect) but then another week later someone from Canberra Connect will eventually give you a call asking you where the car is.

I would discourage having a public report (eg. Riot ACT) as that would effectively give Canberra’s finest parasites a hit list of cars to trash.

Holden Caulfield12:19 pm 19 Jul 13

We have Police in Australia for that sort of stuff.

Otherwise the Road Transport Authority looks like they might be interested: http://www.rego.act.gov.au/registrations/regodefective.htm

I have lived in Canberra for 8 years having moved here from the good old RSA! It is thus not surprising that I find vehicles left on the side of the road, in car parks and nature strips for days (and sometimes) weeks on end, generally free of vandalism.

What is the correct thing to do when I believe a vehicle has been abandoned?

Vandalise it.

You just need to contact Canberra Connect http://www.canberraconnect.act.gov.au/ and they will let the relevant part of the ACT Government know, and then the car gets taken away.

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