City mayoress of Valencia parked her car for 23 years

Barberá parked her Lancia Delta in the car park in 1991 when she first was elected to the position of mayor. Since then the car remained motionless until the present time.

"If any of Valencia residents had dumped their car on the street for a few days, and more then that the car now bears over two decades' worth of dust, and has all four tyres let down, it would have been immediately towed away by the municipal police and impounded years ago with all the attendant consequences." Mr Joan Ribot, the leader of Valencia social organization Compromís, commented on the case.

Compromís began to pump issue two years ago demanding equal treatment for everyone, including case of car parking places. El Mundo informs that they managed to solve the problem only last Thursday, since the building is no longer owned but rented by the mayor's office.

Rita Barberá used the office parking for personal purposes and saved a lot of money not paying for garage or parking space – claims Joan Ribot, – and she did it under the false pretext of a threat by the terrorist organization ETA. Although this problem does not exist in Valencia for many years.

Compromís insists that the government should calculate amount on the basis of the average cost of a parking space and then the mayoress should pay 23 years' worth of daily parking fees. Though, it was not insisted that she should contribute an amount into the city treasury.