Inuvik airport to residents: pick up your abandoned vehicles

The parking lot atInuvik's Mike Zubko Airport is littered with vehicles some with flat tires or smashed windshields.

That's why the airport's managers have set a deadline of Aug. 31for people to pick up their cars if they have been there longer than three months, or they will be removed.

"We noticed an increase in vehicles being abandoned in the parking lot over the last year or so, so we are trying to get that dealt with," said Jason MacNeil, regional airport manager.

MacNeil said there are about 160 parking spots in total. He said some of those spots have been occupied for a year, if not longer.

He said there are about 10 vehicles that would be eligible to be towed, but since the airportmade theannouncement about a week earlier "we may have already seen one or two leave."

MacNeil said some residents from outlying communities may leave their vehicle at the airport and then pickthem up when they come back to Inuvik, but "the other ones, I don't know why they choose to leave them here. That would have to be directed to them."

"Moving forward I'd ask that if they plan on leaving it here for a long duration, that they get a hold of me and make some arrangements," he said."I have no problem with letting them leave it here, as long as they let me know."

Ali Ahmed works as a cab driver in Inuvik. About 10years ago, he worked security at the airport. Ahmedsaid he has seensome people take advantage of the parking lot.

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"Like this car here, I know the person who was driving it," he said, pointingat a car with three flat tires.

"He left the town like two years ago ... we need the spot here.I'm going to very happy [about the towing]. That's a good punishment for the people who never respect the rules of the airport area."

After Aug. 31, vehicles are left for more than a month will be considered abandoned, and will be towed under the Motor Vehicles Act.