COUNCIL CURB STREET CAR SALES
By Gavin Pearce.
Students who stick ‘for
sale’ signs in their car windows may have their vehicles destroyed,
following new council plans to curb illegal street trading.
Selling cars in this way is a
cheap option for students who cannot afford to pay for adverts in newspapers
and magazines. But Harrow Council is looking to put a stop to this way
of selling a car, on the grounds that this way of trading requires a street
trading license.
The council decided to take action
after receiving a petition from Stanmore residents who are concerned about
increasing numbers of cars for sale on streets in the area.
Under the proposals, council
officers will place warning notices on any vehicle offered for sale on
the street. Owners will then have 24 hours to move, otherwise they will
be taken to Brent Council’s car pound and a court order will be sought
to dispose of the vehicle.
Rakesh Kripalani, a University
of Westminster student, is worried that his car could be next. "I
think the plans are rubbish. I need a quick sale to make ends meet - it
takes at least a week for an advert to appear in Loot. Also it means that
only local people answer to the advert so I don't have to travel miles
to see potential buyers."
But Dennis Thompson, the council’s parking and enforcement manager, said he hoped the warning notices alone would encourage owners to move their vehicles. “I believe that the notices will be enough of a deterrent. By giving them plenty of time to move we are dealing with this illegal practice in an extremely fair way."