Around 1,000 abandoned vehicles removed in Lefkoşa over the year

Large-scale clean-up operations have been underway in Lefkoşa’s industrial zone for more than a year. During this time, hundreds of abandoned vehicles and tonnes of solid waste have been removed from the area.

According to Türkay Klermo, head of the Lefkoşa Municipality Transport Department (LTB), 450 vehicles abandoned on the roads were removed from the industrial zone during the first week of the operation alone. At the same time, around 300 truckloads of solid waste were cleared from the area.

In total, around 900–1000 vehicles were towed from the industrial zone and other areas of Lefkoşa over the course of a year. Their owners reclaimed approximately 300 of them. Around 730 vehicles are currently being held at the municipal storage site.

To reclaim a vehicle, the owner must pay the towing fee and storage costs calculated at 200 lira per day. Vehicles are stored for six months. If the owner does not collect the vehicle, information about it is published in a newspaper by its registration number or chassis number. After an additional one-month waiting period, the vehicle is put up for auction.

According to Klermo, the collection of abandoned vehicles continues throughout Lefkoşa. Around 30–35 vehicles are currently towed each week.

Clean-up work in the industrial zone is also continuing. The work is carried out mainly at weekends so as not to disrupt the activities of the businesses located there.

The next stage of the project will involve inspecting buildings and additional structures that have been expanded over time. LTB officials note that some of them may not meet safety requirements. Fire safety is a particular concern: the buildings in the industrial zone are located close to one another, meaning that a fire could quickly spread to neighbouring facilities.

Klermo also said that the flooding problem in the industrial zone had been practically resolved. Previously, the main avenue was closed three or four times a year after heavy rain, but no such incidents have occurred over the past three or four years, even during heavy precipitation. Open channels and a drainage line were built to divert rainwater. Work to replace the water pipes is expected to be completed within the next three months.

In addition, the municipality plans to build an alternative road between Lefkoşa and Haspolat. The main route between the two areas is currently Dr Fazıl Küçük Boulevard. LTB believes that the existing road could become overloaded in the future as the population grows and traffic volumes increase.

Klermo noted that the municipality’s task is not only to resolve current transport problems but also to prepare the city’s infrastructure for further development.

He also spoke separately about efforts to tackle illegal parking. According to him, municipal police officers record between 50 and 100 vehicles parked in violation of the rules every day. This includes parking on pavements, in spaces for people with disabilities and on double yellow lines.

LTB said that consistent enforcement had led to a significant reduction in the number of vehicles parked on double yellow lines. The municipality estimates that around 80% of drivers now comply with this rule.