Approximately 98 per cent of those vehicles abandoned in the streets of the CBD have now been recovered by the Police Vehicle Recovery Team and the focus continues on clearing car park buildings.
From visual assessments of the cordoned area and collation of data through the vehicle registration system the estimate of the number of vehicles within the cordoned area of the CBD is approximately 4,400.
Since the recovery programme began at the weekend 917 vehicles have been returned to owners and arrangements for collection have been made with a further 62 owners.
As well as the street parking, vehicles have been brought out from car park 101 Victoria Square and the Manchester Street car park and plans are in place to remove vehicles from Rydges car park on Oxford Terrace (tonight) and Wilson car park on Cashel Street (Saturday, 19 March).
Engineers are continuing to work with the Police Vehicle Recovery Team to identify other buildings that are safe for the team to enter. People with vehicles still in the CBD are urged to patient. The frustrations of being with out a vehicle are fully appreciated, but recovery is a mammoth task and fraught with safety issues so the team has to work methodically.
Further locations will continue to be advertised on police.govt.nz with locations announced 48 hours prior to collection, to provide owners with time to make arrangements.
Senior Sergeant Bruce Adams of the Vehicle Recovery Team said: "We have been working in horrible conditions, alongside a community that is going through a very difficult time. To be able do something good for those people is incredibly satisfying and we have had a fantastic response from vehicle owners."
Christchurch Media Liaison Team: 027 432 0960 or ChchPoliceMediaLiason@police.govt.nz
Public Affairs: 04 460 2986 or 04 474 9482