Here's what happens to 'abandoned' cars at airports...
Yes, people leave their cars at airports and never take them back.
Cape Town International Airport. Picture: Airports Company South Africa/Facebook
Lester Kiewit speaks to Mpho Maluleka of the Airports Company South Africa (ACSA).
Listen below.
Have you noticed dust-covered vehicles parked at the airport?
They have likely been there for months or years, but what happens to them eventually?
It would cost a motorist R80,000 to get back a car abandoned for a year.
"... We actually don't have a time limit for vehicles to park in our space, because the longer they have parked, the more revenue we make, so we're not strict when it comes to parking."
- Mpho Maluleka, Airports Company SA
'Abandoned' cars are likely left at airports by people who live in other countries.
Parking attendants and security officers monitor and register vehicles daily but if a car has been there for a while, "It might be given the title of being abandoned," explains Maluleka.
If a car is labelled 'abandoned,' the following process occurs...
"They [security or parking attendants] go to the car park office, report the car... to register the vehicle... The list of vehicles will then be issued to the bank to see if they own it."
- Mpho Maluleka, Airports Company SA
Sometimes, ACSA will also contact the police to check if the vehicle is not stolen, and the Traffic Department to trace who owns it, if banks don't.
Scroll up to the audio player to listen to the interview.