A grassy strip near the busy intersection of two highways was hardly the ideal place for a pop-up car yard, according to store owner Garry Gurtner, who called on council to act.

“I’m definitely worried that someone will get hurt,” Mr Gurtner said.

“I’ve seen some close calls there over the years, this is something council needs to look at pretty quickly, they got rid of them two years ago.”

It was believed the increasing number of unwanted cars, particularly on weekends, was the result of a council crackdown on Travers Street earlier this month.

Councillor Yvonne Braid said she was very concerned, because potential buyers “weren’t thinking about where they were going, but what they’re looking at”.

“Garry would see stuff that we never see there,” he said.

“I’ve seen people park where it’s unsafe and you worry for their safety. Maybe there needs to be some arrangement for where people can sell their cars.”

Mark Gardiner, council’s compliance manager, said parking on the grassed shoulder was not an offence and the city was “not aware of any reports regarding safety concerns related to people exiting vehicles at the side of the road”.

“It is the responsibility of drivers to ensure they park their vehicles and exit safely… we will monitor the situation to assess whether there are any concerns,” he said.

“There may have been circumstances (in the past) that required the city to request vehicles be moved such as infrastructure works (or) interference with maintenance.