Thousands of abandoned cars in Athens: the operation of the municipality to eliminate them

More than 3,100 abandoned vehicles have been removed from the area around the city over the course of 3 years as part of a major operation by the Municipality of Athens that continues at an intense pace.

“We are freeing up hundreds of parking spaces for the benefit of the Athenians,” Athens Mayor Kostas Bakoyannis says of the car removal operations, which are part of a coordinated effort to free up valuable public space for parking and clear the streets of old junk. According to a statement from the Municipality of Athens, regular operations coordinated by the Cleaning and Recycling Department have yielded significant results:

1. Over the past three years, from September 2019 to October 2022, a total of 3,168 cars have been removed from the center and neighborhoods, returning the unused space they occupied to the city.
2. Just last month, a major operation was completed that lasted 38 days (September 18 to October 26), as a result of which 188 cars were removed from seven municipalities and the same number of parking spaces were freed up.

Bakoyannis: Our strategy is clean and hospitable Athens

“Athens needs every square meter of public space. By systematically removing abandoned cars from the center and surrounding area, we have managed to free up valuable parking spaces, ensuring the smooth operation of the city. At the same time, we are dealing with “aesthetic degradation” in these places, as well as risks to public health and the environment. Our strategy to make Athens cleaner and hospitable is already bearing fruit and we continue to move in this direction,” Athens Mayor Kostas Bakoyannis said in a statement.

For his part, Deputy Mayor for Cleanliness and Recycling of the Municipality of Athens, Nikos Avramidis, notes: “The Municipality of Athens is making every effort to ensure the cleanliness of the city. Every month we take out an average of 85 abandoned cars, which are then sent for recycling. Our goal is to rid the city of everything that pollutes it and spoils its external appearance with all the means at our disposal.

Complete recycling of materials

All abandoned cars removed from the streets of Athens are recycled. Based on proper environmental management and in accordance with circular economy rules, vehicles are delivered to certified alternative vehicle control facilities where the prescribed workflow is followed. Materials such as batteries, tires, oils, plastics, fuels, metals, etc. are removed from vehicles and then recycled (each type of waste separately). No material goes to waste, as almost all materials are recycled and recycled.

It is noted that citizens who find an abandoned car in their area can either contact 1595 or report it to the municipality through the Novoville application.

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