Abandoned vehicles in England: impact of the End of Life Directive and new initiatives on likely future trends

Smith, Melissa and Jacobson, Jessica and Webb, Barry (2004) Abandoned vehicles in England: impact of the End of Life Directive and new initiatives on likely future trends. Resources, Conservation and Recycling 41 (3), pp. 177-189. ISSN 0921-3449.

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Official URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2003.10.001

Abstract

Numbers of abandoned vehicles in England have grown rapidly over the past 10 years. In 2001/2002, over 290 000 vehicles were reported abandoned. This paper examines how the abandoned vehicle problem is likely to develop in the future with the introduction of new laws and initiatives, after first establishing the current situation and the causes of abandoned vehicles. There are four main factors which seem likely to have created the conditions for the problem to grow. These are: the substantial decline in the price of scrap metal; weaknesses in the vehicle licensing and registration system; growth in the pool of cheap, second-hand vehicles; and increased motoring costs. In the near future, implementation of the End of Life Vehicles Directive (ELVD) is likely to push up numbers of abandoned vehicles even further, since this will increase the cost of legitimate vehicle disposal. At the same time, initiatives introduced both by central government and by local authorities should help to slow the upward trend in numbers of abandoned vehicles. These initiatives include increased enforcement against untaxed vehicles, continuous registration, surrender schemes for end of life vehicles and rapid removal of abandoned vehicles. The current research suggests that if all measures to counter abandoned vehicles are effectively implemented, it is possible that the number of vehicles abandoned per annum will rise to approximately 400 000 in 2007. However, a more realistic projection, based on the assumption that new loopholes will be found by motorists determined to dump their vehicles, suggests that the number of abandoned vehicles in 2007 could be around 560 000 i.e. about double the current number. From 2007 onwards under the ELVD, vehicle manufacturers will become responsible for vehicle disposal costs. It is hoped that the problem of abandoned vehicles will start to decline from this date.

Metadata

Item Type:	Article
Keyword(s) / Subject(s):	Abandoned vehicles, End of Life Directive, Licensing and registration system
School:	Birkbeck Faculties and Schools > Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences > School of Social Sciences
Research Centres and Institutes:	Crime & Justice Policy Research, Institute for
Depositing User:	Jessica Jacobson
Date Deposited:	27 Apr 2018 13:47
Last Modified:	02 Aug 2023 17:41
URI:	https://eprints.bbk.ac.uk/id/eprint/22249

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