The municipal cranes are employed by the municipalities of each population to withdraw from public roads to all vehicles that are illegally parked or obstructing traffic. These cranes are managed by each of the consistories, so it is these that establish the prices of their service. Here we tell you which cities have the lowest and highest rates for the provision of this service by Auto for Trade which is also a hub for online used car sale in United Kingdom.
WHO SETS THE PRICE OF THE MUNICIPAL CRANE?
According to traffic and road safety regulations, vehicles that are parked incorrectly can be removed if they are causing traffic problems or are parked in places reserved for the disabled or in spaces where parking is prohibited. For example, if a car is parked on a zebra crossing, a ford, or in the bus lane, the municipal tow truck can remove the vehicle and take it to the municipal depot to guard it until its owner comes to pick it up. The collection of the car and the stay in the deposit has a cost that the owner of the vehicle must pay to recover his car. Keep in mind that to this amount you must add the corresponding sanction for having committed an infraction.
As we have commented previously, the town councils are those that have the competence in traffic matters within the municipal term, so it will be the council that establishes the rate of the collection service and the transfer of the vehicle.
PRICES OF MUNICIPAL CRANES IN SPAIN
As is logical, since it is a municipal competition there are different prices for this service depending on the city where you live. However, a study by the Organization of Consumers and Users (OCU) reveals that although there are different prices within the national territory, the average cost of municipal cranes in Spain is 98 euros per hour. However, the average price per hour is set at 4.37 euros + surcharges if the stay lasts a long time.
Most Spanish cities do not usually charge the first hours of the vehicle’s stay in the municipal depot, although other municipalities such as Soria and Zaragoza usually charge the full day even if the vehicle has remained immobilized for only a couple of hours in the Deposit. Furthermore, the OCU study reveals that Zaragoza is the Spanish city with the most expensive municipal towing service in the country since the withdrawal and deposit of a car in the Aragonese capital costs about 205 euros. The list of the most expensive municipal crane services is completed by the cities of Vitoria (155 euros) and San Sabastian (154 euros).
As Mapfre points out, the difference between the different Spanish cities can reach up to 334%, undoubtedly too high a difference. On the other hand, when it comes to the cheapest municipal cranes in our country, Melilla is in the first position, since the withdrawal and deposit of a vehicle cost 47 euros. They are followed by Ávila (52 euros) and Zamora (57 euros).
RATE RISE AND FALL
The only cities that have reduced municipal crane rates have been Guadalajara (now they pay 20% less than in 2012), Teruel (they pay 10% less), and Palma de Mallorca (the rate has been reduced by 3%). On the other hand, the cities that have experienced a rise in rates have been Caceres (with an increase of 40%), Zamora (with an increase of 37%) and Las Palmas de Gran Can aria, Segovia, Cádiz, León, and Málaga (all with an increase of 20%).
