3,000 vehicles dealt with under fee amnesty
(CNS): Over 3,000 vehicle owners have taken advantage of the Department of Vehicle and Drivers’ Licensing (DVDL) back fees amnesty, which started in April and has one more month to run. Officials said 2,399 vehicles with expired registrations have been relicensed by their owners, another 675 owners suspended their vehicles’ registration and 194 owners ended the registrations without having to pay the accrued backlog of fees.
As well as encouraging all drivers to make their vehicles legal it also helped to remove a number of derelict and abandoned vehicles.
Minister of Commerce, Planning and Infrastructure Joey Hew said the amnesty is a temporary relief that government is providing for those who have accrued fees, in some cases going back to Hurricane Ivan over fifteen years ago. “Vehicles owners should make use of this waiver so that they can come back into compliance,” Hew said.
DVDL Director of Licensing David Dixon said that once the amnesty process ends, customers will no longer be able to benefit from the write-off of fees.
“We have a month to go before the end of the amnesty, so we want to encourage persons to make use of the opportunity to catch up with their back fees without costs or penalty,” he said.
Once the amnesty ends on 1 November, all vehicles with an expired registration will be terminated in an effort to clean up the DVDL’s register. The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service will also continue enforcement efforts to ensure proper registration of vehicles, and drivers violating the law will be prosecuted.
There are several ways for vehicle owners to benefit under the amnesty. Those who wish to relicense, sell or transfer ownership of their vehicle can visit one of DVDL offices to have their vehicle inspected. They can then relicense and avoid paying the back fees from the unlicensed period. People who choose to relicense, sell or transfer ownership are reminded to keep their registration plate.
Customers who have vehicles that are not roadworthy can visit one of DVDL locations to suspend their vehicle until repairs are complete and hold onto their plates until the vehicle’s is ready to be licensed and go back on the road.
Where a vehicle is not in the owner’s possession, such as circumstances where it may have been destroyed in a natural disaster, owners can drop those plates off at any DVDL location if they still have them.
The DVDL said owners of derelict vehicles should dispose of them at the George Town Landfill if they no longer wish to drive those cars and trucks. Owners can be fined or imprisoned under the Cayman Islands Litter Law for abandoning derelict vehicles.
If owners do not possess plates for vehicles that are no longer in their possession, they can visit the DVDL Crewe Road location or contact 945-8344 for further guidance. Officials also reminded the public they can renew their licence online via the DVDL website or through the government e-service portal.
DVDL Vehicle Amnesty Flow Chart
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Category: Government Administration, Local News, Politics
All of our licensed Tour Buses, Taxis, and Omni buses, due tot heir cargo, should have more intensive licensing requirements, and should have to report to DVDL for inspection, not private corrupt garages. There are many that seem to be routinely passing tech/mech inspection with clouds of black smoke coming out of them, or non-existent suspension and control arms. Someone is looking the other way on all kinds of unsafe, noxious vehicles that are prohibited under the traffic law. Their operators should be held to much higher standard as well. If not, why not?
Ironically, none of this backlog would have developed, had we hired police management that felt it was their sworn duty to enforce our laws. $50mln a year and we’re still waiting for that…
I admit I figured ‘let DVDL do this, it hurts nothing, but it won’t amount to much’. I am happy to see that I was wrong. – Now everyone is (or should become) up to date and legal, there’s no excuse on either side to let them lapse again.
May I suggest DEH drive down Monument Road in Bodden Town (past the “do not litter or leave derelict vehicles” sign), turn right and pick up the three or four derelict cars and a truck there then come back and drive down Mijall Road, picking up two derelict cars, then further on turn left down Kris Anderson Way and left again on Abiu Close and drive to the end of that for at least four more derelict cars (plus a derelict jet ski if you look closely) and a derelict 40 foot container. The problem with my request is that if you drive down nearly every side road in Cayman where there are lower socio economic persons living you would find the same tell tale signs of cars abandoned up on blocks, in the bush or even more remarkably cluttering up peoples yards right where they live and nastying up the place for everyone.
2:24, I wonder what the nationality of the low socio economic people you refer to is in that area, given that the population of Bodden Town now is majority Jamaican.
Take a photo and report to DEH. They will remove it if on public land. I have done twice and they dutifully remove vehicles as it was on public land.
Im sorry but if you cant afford to insure of tax your car you shouldn’t be driving. Sounds harsh but there are laws for a reason.
I bet if we had proper safety/emissions inspections on these islands (like the UK’s MoT tests) most of those ‘re-licensed, vehicles would be heading for the crusher. The state of the wrecks people are driving round on local roads is unbelievable and it’s not just the cars, it’s trucks and buses. My ex owned a Suzuki jeep and that passed inspection with half the lights not working. It was failed for rust in the passenger footwell then passed when that was patched up with a piece of paper-thin steel. There’s a Lexus SUV being driven round (I’ve ridden in it) with both front seatbelt tensioners U/S – the belts were there so even though they don’t work it passed. A Civic I owned briefly had passed even though it had three warning lights showing – that’s an instant fail in the UK. Inspections are a joke!
Was she wearing a short skirt when she took it in for inspection?
Didn’t you see the signs posted in there? That’s illegal hahaha
No how about the government cleans up all the derelict cars on the side of the roads by telling police to start enforcing laws.
So happy that I took advantage of this. Now that I am caught up, I will not let it happen again. (Car was inoperable for several months/not on the road, waiting on parts)
No excuse, plant.