Arona Council cracks down on abandoned vehicles with €2,000 fines
The Arona Council has stepped up its campaign against abandoned vehicles left on public roads, issuing dozens of fines and opening a significant number of new cases so far this year. The council says the problem affects safety, public health and community life in several areas of the municipality, prompting tougher enforcement measures.
During the first three months of 2026, the council concluded 28 sanctioning procedures for abandoned vehicles, each resulting in a fine of €2,001. These cases were initiated following reports from the Policía Local de Arona after vehicles in a severe state of deterioration were removed from public roads and transferred to an Authorised Treatment Centre (CAT) for disposal.
Between 1st January and 30th April 2026, the Local Police recorded 172 formal case files relating to vehicle abandonment.
To put that into context, this figure already represents 81% of the total number of cases registered throughout the whole of 2024, when 213 files were opened. In 2025, the number rose sharply to 361 cases, an increase of nearly 70% compared to the previous year.
The highest concentration of cases so far this year has been recorded in Valle de San Lorenzo, with 92 files opened between January and April.
This is followed by:
- Guargacho – 37 cases
- Las Américas – 11 cases (most already resolved)
- El Fraile – 9 cases
- Guaza – 5 cases
The council says abandoned vehicles are classified as serious offences under Spain’s Waste and Contaminated Soils Law (Law 7/2022 of 8 April), as they are considered waste that must be properly managed, hence the amount of the fine.
Automatic Sanctions Going Forward
Arona Town Hall has confirmed that from now on, any vehicle that is removed due to owner inaction and delivered to an authorised treatment centre will automatically trigger formal sanction proceedings for waste abandonment.
For residents, including many foreign nationals living in the municipality, the message is clear: leaving an unused or deteriorated vehicle on the street could now result in a substantial fine.
Local authorities say the intensified measures are aimed at improving neighbourhood safety, cleanliness and overall quality of life across the municipality.
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