Paphos authorities begin mass removal of abandoned vehicles from industrial zone

Municipal authorities in Paphos have begun removing more than 240 abandoned cars that had remained in the city's industrial zone for a long time. The decision was made after the vehicle owners ignored warnings and failed to remove the vehicles by the deadline.

According to the municipality, special services began moving the cars to a separate secured area in the morning. To get their vehicles back, owners will have to pay the towing and storage costs.

Paphos Mayor Angelos Onisiforou had previously warned that the situation in the industrial zone had become critical. According to him, many workshops and businesses had been leaving broken-down or unused vehicles on streets and public areas for months, and sometimes years.

Municipal authorities note that the industrial zone has effectively turned into a «car cemetery», creating problems for traffic flow, worsening the area's appearance and causing dissatisfaction among business owners and residents.

Last week, traffic police officers from the municipality placed official notices on the cars demanding that the vehicles be removed by the end of the specified deadline. However, most owners did not respond.

«The situation has gotten out of control. Our patience has run out. The industrial zone must be cleared, and it will be cleared,» the Paphos mayor said.

The municipality stressed that oversight will be tightened in the future, and violators will begin to face all legally prescribed measures, including fines and formal complaints.