'War on Illegal Parking' in Yeonsu-gu, Incheon... Installation of Vehicle Movement Restriction Devices in Public Parking Lots

Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, has decided to install immobilizers (wheel clamps) on unregistered vehicles within public parking lots, including the Daeam-ro area in Okryeon-dong, to eradicate illegal parking of vehicles without license plates.

The district announced on the 16th that following the launch of a resident monitoring group last month to establish a continuous reporting system, it will take stronger follow-up measures by attaching immobilizers to unregistered vehicles in public parking lots.

Under the current Parking Lot Act, in public on-street parking lots, immobilizers can be installed on vehicles violating restrictions or using the space for purposes other than intended, if unavoidable. Accordingly, Yeonsu-gu sought legal advice regarding the application of immobilizers and is considering stipulating in its ordinance that such vehicles can be towed, based on opinions from the Ministry of Government Legislation on local legislation.

Furthermore, Supreme Court precedents regard the use of on-street parking lots for business activities such as selling used cars or placing objects that obstruct parking as using the space for purposes other than parking. The district expects that installing immobilizers on unregistered vehicles in public on-street parking lots will significantly reduce unauthorized parking, as used car transactions cannot be conducted without unlocking the devices.

In addition, the district is also pursuing an ordinance amendment to forcibly tow unregistered vehicles from public parking lots after 5 days. Until now, towing was possible only when direct sales activities or long-term parking of unregistered vehicles were confirmed, but with the amendment, the warning period will be shortened, enabling prompt towing.

Vehicle immobilizer attached [Photo by Yeonsu-gu, Incheon]

The Yeonsu-gu area, including roads and alleys near the used car sales complex in Okryeon and Dongchun-dong, has frequently experienced illegal parking of vehicles without license plates, disrupting traffic flow, damaging urban aesthetics, and exposing the area to safety hazards.

Although complaints about long-term parked unregistered vehicles in public on-street parking lots such as the Okryeon-dong Crab Street have noticeably decreased due to measures like attaching strong warning stickers, the problem persists as vehicles evade enforcement by moving before warnings expire. In fact, from February over five months, the district attached warning notices to 431 unregistered vehicles in the area, and in February alone, 54 vehicles moved just before their warnings expired.

Moreover, towing is impossible for large trucks over 1.2 tons and special tow trucks, and there have been cases where dealers retrieve vehicles after fines or warnings are issued and then illegally park them again.

Lee Jae-ho, Mayor of Yeonsu-gu, stated, "We expect that strong enforcement measures such as attaching immobilizers will greatly reduce not only the accumulation of unregistered vehicles in on-street parking lots but also residents' parking inconveniences. We will respond firmly and strongly to any intentional illegal acts that cause inconvenience and threaten residents' safety under any circumstances."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.