Mandurah residents are unhappy with delays in the removal of reported vehicles along Old Coast Road.
Cathy Brown from Erskine compared the road verge south of the new traffic lights to a “wrecker’s yard.”
“Whose (sic) responsible for removing broken down vehicles before they are smashed to pieces?” she said.
“It's not a good look for the main road through Mandurah.”
Others have taken to Facebook to voice their concerns.
Teresa Cox posted to the Mandurah Mail’s website: “Noticing a lot of stolen, stripped-down vehicles' abandoned around Mandurah People need to be warned against this recent adventure from thieves.”
A post by John Mills asked “What's with the city of Mandurah ? Leaving abandoned cars on the side of the road for long periods of time. It only encourages vandalism shame on them.”
That post alone attracted more than 45 responses.
“There is two within metres of each other know at the new halls head lights. Then another only recently removed opposite side of road nearer to falcon. That was there about two weeks before it went. It just got more destroyed until finally burnt,” Kristi Lee said.
Robin White thought they “should be towed somewhere with 24 hours, owners to retrieve at there cost. It is getting worse. The one over the new bridge was less than 24 hours the rego plates were gone.”
In all recent cases, ranger services had been contacted to report the vehicles, placing a yellow sticker requesting the vehicle be removed within 24 hours.
However, because Old Coast Road falls under the jurisdiction of Main Roads, not the City of Mandurah, there is little the local council could do about the complaints.
The Mandurah Mail asked Main Roads why it had taken so long for the vehicles to be removed after being reported.
“Once Main Roads is notified of an abandoned vehicle, it must provide the owner with a due notice period to allow them to collect the vehicle,” a spokesperson said.
"The due notice period for an abandoned vehicle on the road network is seven days.
“However, if the vehicle is in a hazardous position (for example in a running traffic lane) and would cause significant risk to motorists, Main Roads has the authority to move the vehicle to a safe location nearby until the due notice period is complete.
“Once notified of the abandoned vehicle and the due notice period has passed, a subcontractor is engaged to tow and store the vehicle for a period of 90 days.”
However, a maroon sedan has sat at the intersection for more than seven days: enough time for people to strip the vehicle of any useful parts.
On Facebook, local woman Angie Stokie said the cars made the area look like the Bronx, and were an embarrassment.
While the vehicles are out of immediate risk to motorists, it seems that resident’s concerns are more for the aesthetic of their main motorway.
