Cars dangerously abandoned by offenders can be towed

Last year, public order officers in the Vilnius municipality had to deal with more than 47,000 cases. violations of the highway code. A new procedure came into force on January 1: cars that have broken the rules can be towed by municipal officials. Motorists are expected to pay more attention to where they leave their cars and whether this causes discomfort or even danger to others.

“Almost half a hundred thousand violations per year is a huge number. Some motorists do not even think about the fact that, leaving the car in an unauthorized place, they endanger other road users. Due to the irresponsible behavior of some motorists, pedestrian paths cannot be used by disabled people or parents with baby carriages, and due to accumulated waste containers, sometimes garbage is left on the entire block. Fines are not always effective, but hopefully towing of the car becomes an additional motivation to be the one who is more careful”, says Adomas Bužinskas, deputy director of the administration of the Vilnius municipality.

Although the procedure came into force on January 1, Vilnius is starting to change with an active information campaign for motorists about emerging threats, the consequences of how such a violation will be assessed in the near future, but for now violators’ cars are not towed.

How innovation will work

Officials of the public order department, together with inspectors of “Transport Services” and the administrator of the Vilnius waste system (VASA) and district elders, will compile lists of places where serious violations of the parking KET are usually committed. After having evaluated them, the routes will be traced and will be patrolled daily by a special transport truck with a public order officer on board.

“Initially, violators will be identified during patrols. After the transport truck picks up the violator’s car, the decision will not change. If the driver comes to his car at that time, he will have to choose: either take the car to a protected area, or move the car to the nearest permitted free parking, but in both cases the driver will still have to pay not only a fine for violation of the KET, but also for the work of the tow truck,” he explains. Andrzej Dinikis, head of the public order department.

The cost of transporting the car will be around 50 euros, and if the car is taken to the depot, the offender will also have to pay for the storage of the car: the amount can reach up to 10 euros per day.

After returning and not finding the car, the violator will need to call 112. The operator of the general assistance center will provide information about who towed the car and where to apply for collection. If the driver does not lose the vehicle on the same day after the towing of the car, then within one working day the owner of the car will receive information about the fact of towing the car to the available contacts and the necessary actions will be taken.

A. Dinikis emphasizes that initially a tow truck will patrol Vilnius, and during the day it will be possible to tow up to 10 cars violating the KET. Priority will be given to representative places of the city, accesses to squares, public transport stops and places frequented by the largest population.

“If we found out that a car was clearly parked in the children’s playground in the courtyard of an apartment building, it would be towed. However, initially we do not intend to patrol the courtyards of apartment buildings, we will focus on the entrances to the courtyards,” adds A. Dinikis.

The most frequently asked questions and answers can be found here:

1. Why was it necessary to change the rules and what are the advantages of this innovation for citizens?

From January 1, not only the police, but also municipal officials can remove cars that violate KET regulations and endanger the safety of other road users. In a month, in Vilnius alone, public order officers identify about 2,000 KET violations, some of which are extremely serious, pose a threat to others, create obstacles, dangerous traffic situations, impede work and move in Vilnius harmoniously and smoothly.

2. Under what circumstances will your car be towed?

First of all, cars parked in a prohibited area will be removed, which pose a threat to the safety of other road users (obstruct visibility), violate the movement ability of other road users (run on a cycle path, walk on the sidewalk), hinder the approach of emergency services and hinder the approach of garbage trucks to waste containers.

For example:

On and near pedestrian crossings;
On the cycle and pedestrian path;
Do not leave room for other road users to move on the sidewalk;
At intersections and right next to them, when a car blocks visibility;
In continuous lines;
In disabled areas (excluding private areas or shopping centres);
In public transport lanes and stops;
To the containers;
If the car blocks or obstructs traffic.

3. How will areas without signs be managed?

Cars will not be towed from the places where they will be parked according to current KET regulations or parked as indicated by the parking signs. Most multifamily yards do not have signs indicating how to park, so Rule 150.15 will be used, which states that parking within 5 meters of the intersection of the street and entry/exit to/from areas adjacent to the street (on the side of the street where entry/exit to/from areas adjacent to the street is indicated) is prohibited, except when parking is permitted by street signs indicating the parking location.

4. Will the driver be notified that his car is being towed?

When collecting the car, the owner will not be searched, but no later than the next working day, an act of forced removal of the vehicle will be sent to the owner/driver of the vehicle, to the available contacts.

5. Who do you contact if you can’t find a parked car?

If you cannot find a car, you must call the emergency short number 112. The operators of the General Assistance Center will verify that the car has been towed and will provide information on the collection methods.

6. When and where will it be possible to collect the car?

The car will be available 24 hours a day in the guarded parking of the company providing the service, information on collecting the car will be provided by telephone by the Department of Public Order 8 5 219 7948.

7. How much will you have to pay to get the car?

The shipping quantity will reach from 40 to 70 eurosas well as the offender will have to pay the price of parking the car in the parking lot, which can amount to from 2 to 10 euros per day The owner or driver of the car will have to pay.

8. When the driver gets to the car, won’t it be taken away from him?

If the car is already off the ground, it will not be put back in the prohibited parking space, but the driver will be able to choose whether to collect the car from the parking lot where it will be taken or from the nearest permitted parking space. In any case, the driver will have to pay the costs incurred by the carrier and the fine imposed for the violation of the KET.

9. How will the towed cars be selected?

The city will be patrolled: the tow truck will travel the planned routes together with the public order department officer. If you notice a car that violates the rules or poses a danger to other road users (parking in a place prohibited for stopping or parking), the car will be towed.

10. How long will the towed car remain parked in the car park?

The car will be kept until collected by the driver or owner. In case the driver or owner does not collect the car within 30 dayshe will be presented with the invoice for the transport and storage of the car, or civil recovery will be requested. If the owner is not known or the whereabouts are not known, procedures for lost items will be initiated.

11. Will heavy vehicles be transported?

Public order officers will not transport heavy vehicles, but only those up to 3.5 tonnes. Regarding the forced removal of heavy vehicles it is necessary to contact the police.

12. Can city residents also call a tow truck after noticing a violation?

As before, it will be possible to report a detected parking violation by telephone to the public order department 8 5 219 7948.

13. Will it be possible to call public order officers in cases where a car interferes with the works (laying asphalt, cleaning construction sites)?

Yes, it will be possible, but first we will try to resolve the situation by contacting the driver so that he can tow the vehicle himself.

14. Will the public order officers also take away unused cars, ruins that have been standing for a long time?

Yes, if you don’t know the owner or where it is located. In cases where the owner is known, sanctions apply. If the car is still not removed, the municipal officers remove the car by force and decide on confiscation.

Marketing and Communications Department, vrt@vilnius.lt