Gov’t to suspend derelict vehicle programme

Health & Social Development Minister Vincent Wheatley has announced that the government will have to suspend the collection of derelict vehicles until a new long-term storage site is identified.

Minister Wheatley said the Department of Waste Management is actively working to secure a new long-term storage site for derelict vehicles, as the current site at Havers will be cleared in the coming weeks.

He added that the government may opt for Crown land if that option is available for storing and processing derelict vehicles and other scrap metal.

Although the programme will soon be suspended, the public should note that the department will continue to issue removal notices to owners of derelict vehicles deemed to be an immediate public nuisance.

“Where necessary, [the Department] will impose fines until such vehicles are removed to an appropriate location,” Minister Wheatley said.

The derelict vehicle programme commenced after the 2017 hurricanes when the territory was littered with damaged vehicles that ruined the scenic aesthetic for which the BVI is known.

As the government looks to extend the programme, Minister Wheatley said the government will be re-implementing the Derelict Vehicle Disposal Fee as of  September 1, 2025.

The fee will be collected as a one-time payment at the Department of Motor Vehicles during the vehicle licensing process for all vehicles.

The Minister said the fee is to help offset the costs associated with the removal, processing, and proper disposal of derelict vehicles throughout the territory.

In the meantime, a total of 642 vehicles were collected and prepared for export from the territory.

Minister Wheatley said the contract originally covered the removal of 500 derelict vehicles, but the contractor brought in an unexpected surplus of 142 derelict vehicles that were mainly abandoned in public areas or confiscated vehicles by the police. These derelicts will be exported from the territory on June 19.