Residents Annoyed by the Increase of Junkyards on Public Roads

The residents of Guadalupe, Zacatecas are annoyed by the increase of junkyards on public roads, especially on the road that connects the municipal capital with the community of Sauceda de la Borda.

Parents of students attending a nearby school and passersby have expressed their discontent because the dismantled vehicles that are sold for parts obstruct the passage of pedestrians and automobile traffic, in addition to giving a bad appearance and being a factor of pollution.

City Council Orders Removal of Scrap Metal

The City Council has already asked the owners of at least five of the 15 junkyards located in the urban area to remove the scrap metal.

Guillermo Dueñas González, head of the municipal Department of Urban Development, Ecology, and Environment, informed that those located on this road, near the Unidad Deportiva, have been given an ultimatum to present the corresponding permits or else they will not be able to continue operating.

The measures of constraint include financial fines and the removal of objects outside the establishments; the cost of eviction would also be covered by the owners.

Junkyard Owners React to the Measures

Gilberto Hernández, the owner of one of the junkyards, said that he had already received a warning from the authorities to vacate the space, as well as a request for the corresponding municipal permit.

However, he found it very complicated to obtain a permit, so he has decided to change the location of his business in the next few days. Workers at another junkyard, where the order to remove most of the wreckage from the road has already been complied with, reported that the owner, who lives in Aguascalientes, “is already arranging the permits.”

An employee of another junkyard said that they had not yet received the notification, although the owner is willing to keep everything on their land.

Deadline to Regularize Situation

The head of the Department of Urban Development mentioned that the sellers of used auto parts and scrap metal have one month from the notification to regularize their situation, and if they fail to do so, “measures will be taken” in conjunction with the Traffic and Roads Department to remove them from the public highway.

He acknowledged that all those who work in this business do “an honest job, but it generates pollution problems due to the materials in the vehicles, as well as impeding free traffic.”

Residents Express Annoyance at the Proliferation of Unusable Cars

One of the mothers with children at the Balme Institute, located less than 50 meters from the junkyards, expressed her annoyance at the proliferation of unusable cars in the area and the bad appearance they cause.

Olga García emphasized that “the pile of junk is now blocking the way” for students and cars through one of the entrances to the school, as little by little “the street is getting smaller” because of the accumulated junk.

One of the users of the nearby sports unit, Juan José Sánchez, considered that athletes are affected because “they can’t breathe well due to the particles in the air because of the large number of junkyards” on the avenue, which is also used by athletes who run every day.

Other athletes agreed that they don’t have much of a problem with these types of businesses nearby, although they recognize that the dismantled vehicles affect the environment and are a form of visual pollution.

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