Decided: the municipalities will be able to retire the obsolete cars; the police have a more serious job to do

“According to data from the Vilnius municipality, up to 20 percent. the cars that are in the yards are not used. Sometimes they can’t even be used because they don’t have windows, wheels, or even a motor. And they are considered unused objects, not vehicles, ”said Mykolas Majauskas, a member of the Seimas.

According to him, the proposed amendment to article 603 of the Code of Administrative Offenses (ANC) would grant the municipality the right to seize said vehicles, that is, the municipality would take over or share functions with the police.

“This would allow a more efficient provision of public services, such as garbage collection, as well as facilitate access to special service carts, as we have seen many situations where ambulances or fire trucks cannot enter the yard. departments, “said the Seimas member.

According to him, until now, the obligation to impound a disused car rested with its owner, and if he does not take action, the police will intervene. However, as M. Majauskas pointed out, the police are involved in “serious business, serious work.” For this reason, it is proposed to give the right to take a car to the municipality, as is the case in many European countries.

At the beginning of the vote, 118 members of the Seimas voted in favor of the proposal, of which 114 supported the amendments.

Increase offers and fines

According to Vladimir Jankoit, director of the End-of-Life Vehicle Operators Association (ENTPTA), the administrative responsibility of keeping a vehicle unattended in a public place now applies, but it does not solve the problem that has existed for many years.

“The new provisions of the law will facilitate the removal of vehicles at the end of their useful life from common areas, but in principle they will not solve the problems, since the fight will continue with consequences. When a vehicle is not operated and deregistered, financial penalties should automatically be imposed on owners, which would encourage owners not to keep unused vehicles in common areas, ”says Jankoit.

According to him, in some countries, like Estonia, there are no uninsured cars, because these vehicles are charged a premium every day. The insurance guarantees that the car is in use and, if not, destroyed.

“The association receives around 2,000 annually. Reports from residents of end-of-life vehicles left in common areas (streets, patios, or sidewalks of apartment buildings). Administrative responsibility does not deter irresponsible vehicle owners from infringements, since the number of complaints from the population does not decrease, ”says V. Jankoit.

Along with the amendments to the Road Safety Law, the Seimas plans to adopt amendments to the Code of Administrative Offenses, which would also come into effect from January next year. Below them, the owner of the car would receive a warning for the first time for the violation, and the repeat violation would be punished with a fine of 140 to 300 euros or the vehicle would be impounded.

Currently, the Code of Administrative Offenses stipulates that a resident faces a fine or automobile impoundment for keeping an unused and unattended vehicle in a common area. The fine for the first offense ranges between € 70 and € 140, and for the second offense up to € 300 with (or without) confiscation of the car.

Where to deliver an old car

Under Lithuanian law, end-of-life vehicles and their parts must only be handed over to waste managers who have the right to collect and manage such vehicles. Old cars can also be delivered to end-of-life vehicle collection points set by vehicle manufacturers and importers. Residents are prohibited from participating in the dismantling of old cars without proper permits.

It should be noted that after adding an old polluting car (class M1) and obtaining a certificate of destruction (deregistered from the Lithuanian Register of Road Vehicles), it will be possible to apply for compensation to the Environmental Project Management Agency (APVA) . of 1,000 euros for a less polluting mobility vehicle, an electric motorcycle or an electric scooter. All companies that buy old cars issue car wrecking certificates free of charge, and the APVA compensation payment should start soon.

According to data from the Environmental Protection Agency, in 2019, 36.4 thousand tons were collected in Lithuania. tons of used vehicles at the end of their useful life, of which 35.7 thousand. tons have been treated (ready for use or disposal). However, due to the shadow of car dismantling activities, these data are far from reflecting the real situation in the country.