The municipal tow truck is a tool that most large cities have to remove cars improperly parked on the street. For several decades now, this service has been widespread in Spain and other countries as an effective measure to combat uncivil drivers who park their cars in illegal places.
Although many citizens consider that city councils make indiscriminate use of the municipal tow truck due to their desire to collect revenue, it is important to highlight that the main objective of this service is to guarantee order and safety on public roads. Its use is regulated in article 150 of the Traffic Law, which lists up to eight cases in which the tow truck can remove a vehicle from the street and transfer it to the warehouse.
In addition to the conventional tow trucks that are already part of the urban landscape, a technological innovation has recently emerged to remove improperly parked cars. These are robots specialized in vehicle removal, capable of accessing places inaccessible to conventional cranes.
These robots are an effective solution in the fight against improper parking, as they can move autonomously and perform towing tasks efficiently in narrow or difficult-to-access spaces. Underground parking lots and narrow streets are the places where these robots demonstrate their ability to avoid obstacles and access poorly parked vehicles effectively.
However, the use of these autonomous vehicles could be extended to all types of parking lots and complement the work of conventional cranes. In a video posted on Instagram by user @businessblurb, a robot can be seen lifting and carrying away a car parked in a space reserved for the disabled. According to the author of the post, the scene was recorded in the city of Liverpool (United Kingdom).
In principle, it does not seem that the robot belongs to the fleet of vehicles that the Liverpool municipal government has to remove improperly parked cars from the city's streets. The autonomous vehicle is labeled with the letters RNW, that is, the initials of Recovery North West, a company specialized in towing vehicles. As explained on its website, the company has cranes of all types and sizes to remove heavy trucks to much lighter cars.
The robot, known as Easttract and manufactured by the French company Multitract, appeared on the market in 2012. Since then, it has earned an outstanding reputation as an ideal vehicle for operating in small spaces, thanks to its exceptional maneuverability. . Furthermore, once the removed vehicle is loaded, it is also capable of getting on the platform of a truck to leave the place more quickly.
Regarding its technical specifications, the Easttract is equipped with a 35 HP Briggs and Stratton engine that allows it to tow loads of up to 2,500 kilograms. The vehicle is controlled remotely using radio frequency.
