Ask the Mayor: What’s With the Increase in Abandoned Vehicles?

Burnt out abandoned vehicles in vacant Kahului field. (4.18.16) Photo by Wendy Osher.

Mayor Alan Arakawa answers some of the questions submitted to his office staff.

Submit your own questions about County of Maui programs, services, operations or policies to Mayor Alan Arakawa via email at AskTheMayor@mauicounty.gov, call 270-7855 or send them by mail to 200 S. High St., 9th Floor, Wailuku, HI 96793. Questions submitted will be considered for inclusion in the “Ask the Mayor” column.

Aloha Mayor,

Q: I live in Waiehu and work in Kīhei and I swear, everywhere I look I see abandoned vehicles. They’re in the cane fields, they’re hidden in the bushes and I even seen one in a gulch.

What’s wrong with people? Am I crazy or are there more abandoned vehicles now than before?

A: Unfortunately the number of abandoned vehicles out there has been increasing every year according to the Metals and Abandoned Vehicles Division of the Department of Environmental Management.

They say they that for fiscal year 2016 (from July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2016), they have had to tow 1,119 abandoned vehicles, which is the most they have ever had in one fiscal year.

If you discover an abandoned vehicle, please remember to call the Maui Police Department non-emergency number at 244-6400 to report it. Make sure you have all the information you need for the report, such as location of the vehicle, make, model, license plate number if it’s available and how long you think the vehicle has been at this location.

Mahalo.