Abandoned cars are a disgrace

Sir,

The government has claimed it is an environmentally concerned member of the European Union, but of course this is widely regarded as a poor joke.

Much of the environmental rape of Cyprus can be laid at the door of some uncaring developers and far too many contemptuous and irresponsible individuals. Yet there is one area where the government could truly make a difference and this is to rid the countryside of abandoned old cars and wrecks.

I understand the Licensing Authority has on record every registered vehicle engine number. It follows that in by far the majority of cases, although perhaps not in all, the last known owner could be rapidly traced and required to arrange immediate removal of the offending car against the imposition of a large fine well exceeding the cost of responsible disposal.

A determined and one-off purge would mean the disappearance of hundreds of unattractive and unsightly blots on the landscape and prove a real disincentive for such inconsiderate and cavalier behaviour in the future.

Clive Turner, Kamares

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.