Owners should be charged for their derelict vehicles
The government will be looking to put more pressure on the owners of derelict vehicles and could possibly ask them to pay the costs associated with getting old vehicles out of the territory.
That’s the announcement made by Acting Manager of the Department of Waste Management, Neville Allen, who also said some owners tend to abandon their vehicles on roadsides in hopes that the government will remove them.
“Many persons bring vehicles from Japan and so forth and it is very difficult to get parts when it starts giving problems and they would take these vehicles and put them on the side of the road and in public parking lots. It is a nightmare — a safety issue, and it breaks down the beauty of our territory,” Allen explained.
“If people bring in these vehicles, they need to be more responsible and not put them on the side of the road for the government to deal with,” he stressed.
Allen’s statement comes amid his announcement that the Department of Waste Management is stepping up efforts to remove derelict vehicles and other scrap metals from across the Virgin Islands.
He said the department, through the Ministry of Health and Social Development, is collaborating with KMJ General Maintenance to remove all derelict vehicles and other scrap metals from Pockwood Pond and have them shipped off the island.
Allen said KMJ General Maintenance is the new partner because they responded to a tender that was sent out.
“Right now, they are on the site and they have a 5000-tonne barge. They are loading and we are expecting to get all the items off the property and trying to return to how it was prior. I am happy to see these metals being processed and placed on the barge and the barge leaving to ship them off the island,” Allen stated.
The removal of the derelict vehicles from the Pockwood Pond site began on April 11, 2023. The loading of the scrap metals on the barge began on May 25.
Since then, more than two thousand tonnes of scrap metals have been processed and loaded.
Completion of the project is expected in early June, and the vessel is expected to leave the territory around that time as well. The scrap metal will be exported to Columbia where it will be used for recycling purposes.
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1. Well done – its good to see the flatbeds with derelict cars on them headed to Pockwood
2. Absolutely the owners should share in the disposal costs….figure out a way to do this (VINs, a refundable fee at vehicle registration…?)
3. A ship leaving soon will have made but a small dent in the vehicles abandoned all over the territory. When is the next one coming to be loaded? What is the plan for ongoing removal?
Yes make owners pay for it. Derelict equipment and boats, and yachts as well. It is a disgrace. Clean it up.
Drivers are charged – its called import duty at the highest rate of 20% – government needs to understand that these taxes rant just for stuffing in their pockets. Road tax (DMV) is for fixing roads …. Environmental Tax (for tourists) is for parks trust to upkeep the environment etc etc ….
Most those vehicles are the Irma left overs, just because you been slacking at disposing of them, doesn’t give you the right the blame us for importing new ones. And we do already pay 20% import for these vehicles, so us some of that to dispose of them.
Ha!Ha!
When was anyone ever held responsible for things like this?
We have a DELERIC garbage truck here since VIP was in power and loose two (2) to NDP. So since about 14 yrs ago we have a huge piece memorabilia sitting on the government road. TOTAL SHAME, EYESORE AND DISGRAGE TO ALL CONCERN!! PERIODT!!!
I am always under the impression that a portion of your licensing fee is to cover the cost of discarding your vehicle when it can no longer be used, what kind of nonsense Neville talking about?
I’ve been saying this for years, fee should be collected upon importation or at DMV.
I think its time for our Government to speak with Bermudas’ Authorities on how they were able to address this problem. One on, One off.
A key component to Beermuda’s approach is to provide reliable and cheap public transport so people don’t need to buy or import cars. That will never happen here because the taxi meen don’t want cheap competition.
Taking About Derelict Vehicles
We have Derelict: Vehicles, Derelict Boats, Derelict Containers, Derelict Trucks and Machineries and other large Derelict Items all over the place from East End to West End – from Anegada to Jost Van Dyke.
You can find these Derelict items on side walks, on the side of the roads, in parking lots, on Government and Private property, in the Church Yard. Even in the Burial Grounds it have Derelict vehicles and boats there. I saw them myself.
Moreover, the whole place looks like a garbage heap. Everywhere you go is garbage, garbage there. Side Walks and Road Side have become Parking Lots and Garages. To add to the distress, everywhere you go especially in the East End, Road Town and Purcell area the place smell stink with sewerage and water running all over the place.
I saw the Premier’s or the Minister of Communication tinted, black, Jeep being washed on the side of the road in Lower Estate! These Ministers are a huge part of the problems we are experiencing in the BVI. They are supporting activities that tear down our country and make it look like one huge dump! These people have not one call leading this country. They have no clue. And the silence of the new Deputy Premier tells me she is seeing the madness!!
Seems to me the BVI should make a location for folks to dispose of old cars, heck, turn it into a parts yard. Pay some folks to strip them down, put the used parts up for sale, then scrap the rest. This should be a free service (not the selling of the parts part, that can go towards paying wages and running the program). Anybody leaving a derelict vehicle on the side of the road should be fined (a lot) and prevented from registering another car until the fines are paid. But thats just me.
Have you notice that there is a custom tax on all vehicles coming to the BVI.
In the USVI owners are charged
Please pass through Green Land and make the place safe,
sell the scrap metals, I sure the barge is making big money from them. Its a win win for them.
You’re absolutely correct, “Truth”, in that we’re charged for stuff like that here in the US Virgin Islands!
The VIN numbers are used to determine ownership. And, there are several places-inside, and on other areas of the cars,where such numbers can be found.
There should be no excuses.
It is high time that the damn place gets cleaned up.
Fees, acquired, can play a major role in this effort!
unless they have a trade licence