San Miguel de Abona Council has launched a new campaign aimed at removing around 300 abandoned vehicles from streets and public spaces across the municipality. Including busy areas such as Las Chafiras, Golf del Sur and Amarilla Golf.

The initiative will intensify efforts to locate and inspect vehicles that have remained unmoved for long periods, before beginning the administrative process required for their removal.

Once a vehicle has been legally classified as abandoned and the necessary procedures completed, it will be removed from the street and transferred to an authorised treatment centre.

The council says the campaign follows numerous complaints from residents about vehicles being left for months in public parking spaces.

Parking shortage behind crackdown

Parking availability is a particular concern in San Miguel de Abona according to Mayor Arturo González, who said abandoned vehicles are making existing parking and mobility problems worse by occupying spaces that could otherwise be used.

However, vehicles cannot simply be removed because they appear unused.

Each one must be identified and checked before the appropriate legal and administrative procedure is followed.

The mayor acknowledged that the removal process can take time and said the new campaign is the first specific operation of this type the municipality has been able to launch.

ITV and insurance checks

Local Police officers will also check whether vehicles identified during the campaign have a valid ITV roadworthiness inspection and compulsory insurance.

Where vehicles fail to meet those legal requirements, the appropriate penalties for the vehicle owners can be processed separately from the abandonment procedure, as all cars, whether used or not, must have a valid ITV and insurance.

The council hopes the campaign will also encourage owners of unwanted vehicles to remove them voluntarily before enforcement action becomes necessary.

Any vehicles ultimately removed through the abandonment procedure will be transferred to an authorised treatment centre for appropriate disposal and processing.

Long-running problem in south Tenerife

Abandoned vehicles have been a persistent problem across Tenerife, particularly in parts of the south where parking spaces are already under considerable pressure.

San Miguel has previously carried out substantial numbers of individual removal procedures. During 2024 and the first part of 2025, the council reported processing 488 abandonment cases and removing 459 vehicles from public roads.

The latest campaign is intended to target the remaining problem more systematically, freeing parking spaces while improving road safety, cleanliness and the appearance of public areas.