Operation Cubit Targets Abandoned Vehicles

Operation Cubit targeted Dover District from 7-11 September and removed 50 abandoned and untaxed vehicles from the streets of the district.

Operation Cubit is run in partnership across the county by Kent Police, Kent County Council, Kent District Councils, Medway Unitary Authority, Kent Fire and Rescue Service, NSL (formerly the National Car Parking Service, which operates the lifting mechanisms), and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA). Launched in 2001, the scheme continues to work across Kent districts and has contributed to a significant fall in the number of abandoned and untaxed vehicles across the county.

Once removed from the streets, abandoned and untaxed vehicles are taken to a compound. Vehicles not claimed within the prescribed period (usually seven days) may be destroyed. Vehicle owners have to pay a minimum of £100 fine, plus a £160 surety fee (refundable on purchase of a tax disc within 14 days) to reclaim their vehicle, as well as a storage fee of £21 per day.

Over the last three years, Dover District has seen a 50% drop in the number of abandoned vehicles reported, with figures falling from 658 vehicles in 06/07 to just 329 in 08/09. This is in part due to the success of the Cubit partnership.

Cllr Nicholas Kenton, Dover District Council Cabinet Member for Environment, Waste and Planning, said: "Untaxed vehicles are often uninsured, have no MOT and are a danger to the public. Operation Cubit continues to be a great success, and we continue to work closely with partner agencies to remove these vehicles from our streets as quickly as possible for the future of the district."

Guy Thompson, Acting Inspector of Dover District Neighbourhood Team said: "Members of the public are often contacting Neighbourhood Officers about untaxed and abandoned cars. Operation Cubit shows how we deal with those issues with our partners and tackle those issues that matter to them."

To report an abandoned vehicle in Dover District call 01304 872428 or visit www.dover.gov.uk.