The municipality announced last week it’s going to take action against vehicles abandoned on roadways in Jasper.

As the town gears up for snow removal, bylaw enforcement will begin towing cars left in public spaces and fining owners. But Licensing and Enforcement manager Doug Rodwell would prefer to see people take responsibility than hand out hefty tickets.

“Give me a call, we’ll deal with these things and get them out of here,” Rodwell said.

It’s illegal to park an unlicensed car on a roadway, a telltale sign of which is a car without a plate, Rodwell said. An owner can be fined $230 for an abandoned car and $2,800 for having an uninsured vehicle on a roadway.

To properly dispose of a motor vehicle generally costs about $200, which is far less expensive than the fines.

Next week, the municipality will start to tow the estimated 20 to 30 abandoned vehicles on the town’s streets to its storage lot in the industrial park. Tickets will be mailed to the registered owners, and the automobiles will be stored for 30 days before being transferred to a disposal yard.

“You would think that in a national park, people would take an environmental view towards getting rid of cars,” Rodwell said. “I don’t know what people think when they decide to do these things.”

Owners who want to legally dispose of their vehicles can contact Rodwell for assistance at 780-852-3014, extension 22.