Gov’t goes to work on rusting wrecks
(CNS): A cross-government team has been put together by Deputy Governor Franz Manderson to remove and scrap abandoned derelict vehicles. These rusting wrecks, left in the bush, streets and on empty lots, are not only a threat to the environment but also a health hazard and contribute to social disorder. Since July more than 300 have been removed but officials estimate there are still another 350 abandoned vehicles throughout Grand Cayman.
Under the direction of the DG, a team has been created, including members of the RCIPS, the Department of Environmental Health and the Department of Vehicles and Drivers’ Licensing, to tackle the growing and increasingly serious problem.
“We are aware of the large number of derelict vehicles and have set a goal to reduce the number of derelict vehicles to zero by early 2021,” Manderson said. “However, it’s an opportune time to remind the public that derelict vehicles are a community problem and every member of our community can help by doing their part. In other countries success rates were highest when both government agencies and the community worked together,” he added.
Derelict and abandoned vehicles create various problems involving motor vehicle regulation, social disorder, the attraction of rodents that can spread disease, and the illegal disposal of bulky, hazardous waste, as well as the harm caused to the environment and the people who are exposed to them, officials said.
DEH Director Richard Simms noted that abandoning vehicles is an offense under the Litter Law. He explained that a derelict vehicle is one that is in a public place, has signs of damage or missing parts such as windows or tyres, and its registration has been expired for at least six months.
Winston Sutherland, the director of the Portfolio of the Civil Service’s Management Support Unit who heading up the team, said it is safer and cheaper to arrange for the removal of a vehicle at the end of its serviceable life.
“The DEH will remove a derelict vehicle for $75,” he noted. “That cost is very low in comparison to the dangers that these vehicles cause to our environment and to our health, especially the most vulnerable. We all know that our health and our environment are intrinsically linked. We must work together to protect our islands.”
Section 2 of the Litter Law defines a “derelict vehicle” as “a vehicle that appears to an officer, by reason of its condition, to have been abandoned”. The Traffic Law also addresses abandoned vehicles stating that “where it appears to a constable that a vehicle has been abandoned” he can take charge and tow it away to a pound or other suitable place. Once a vehicle is impound by the RCIPS there is a fee of $10 per day.
To report a derelict vehicle call 949-6696 or email DEHcustomerservice.gov.ky
Category: Environmental Health, Health
I don’t see why the government doesn’t use the VIN on these vehicles to find out the offenders and then go collect cost+. It is easy enough to do.
DEH is part of the problem on Cayman Brac. They take junk vehicles and stack them up with all others metals. Absolutely poor management by DEH on Brac.
Person in charge on Brac goes around harassing certain shoppe keepers about expired goods, yet does not do the same to certain other shoppe keepers….. we will not name the names at this point …. easy to figure out due to $$$$
Years ago some vehicles were crushed and stacked up on southeast corner of dump – now they can hardly be seen as shrubs/bush has covered them up.
Wonder why Mo$e$ Trump has not done anything about the Brac dump – isn’t it in his district?
But with the May 2021 election soon come, just maybe the Brac dump will get some attention.
Signed,
Mo$e$ Trump-wannabe
Um you may want to keep the comments to yourself – ya don’t know that Moses is part of the Brac mafia that can make your life difficult.
Vote Moses K in 2021 – we don’t care about his youthful indiscretions in college or his perceived conflict of interests in some issues.
Try to be positive about something and quit bitching.
Signed,
Moses K Supporter
Please remove the derelict cars here on the Brac at these areas
Spot Bay west of old Bar
West side of Billy’s Supermarket in bushes
Behind Admin building at Stake Bay
We sent junk vehicles some time ago to Cuba as scrap metal. Could we do this again? CNN could you comment on possibility of this happening? What say the CIG on attending and attacking issue?
Excellent choice to clean up solid wastes in all Districts. Thanks CNS. You are the best with reporting the good, bad and ugly.
How about fixing the damn dump first!
While you’re at it there is a huge heap of waste draining public funds who sits at the speaker podium.
And 18 more just beneath him.
Hey obviously disgruntled by the Speaker go and hide under a bush no pun intended or go and live in west bay with your family if you have one and vote out the Bush really kapish. Those actions will help reduce the waste of public funds. Cheap talk solves NOTHING.
DEH or planning needs to take a drive down in Martin Drive Shedden Road, the amount off car around a house also has rent rooms and no where for the people to park. They have a garage where they paint 24/7 which is a pain and not healthy to people because the place had to vent for the paint to go in the air so this kills the people who lives there, most days you can’t even sit in your yard because off paint, something needs to be done and fast, they also need to look into all these houses that adding on to rent without planning approvals.
Slum landlords here are disgusting parasites. They’re not the only problem, more a symptom of a broken welfare system.
And a broken Trade and Business Licensing system. And a broken immigration system. And a broken planning system…
Good Governance, right Gov?
All they need to do is go down Sparky Drive to the end of the road and the back of that area has more used pieces of crap cars lining the road than ones that run. But will they actually get rid of them – and when they come back in 2 weeks, will they go back again? That is a sh!t-heap back there…
I have emailed DEH fives times regarding one abandoned vehicle over the course of the last 7-months and they have not done anything. How does someone actually get their attention?
Email don’t work as they are too lazy to reply back! So I storm to their office and told them off and within 24 hours they remove the vehicle!
3.13pm Please understand they are Civil Servants, this is how the Civil Service operates- ignore the public as there is no accountability.
Next time just copy a few members of the media on your email.
2:01, the cars on Mijall Rd (and a couple of fridges) are on a Bodden Town Caymanian owned property which is a rather run down apartment building which houses the workers who work in his gardening business. So is he responsible for clearing them all away?
Thou shalt not covet.
How about clearing up that eye sore on Sound Way?
DEH: Go down Monument Road/Mijall Road/Kris Anderson Way/Abiu Close in Bodden Town, there are at least six derelict vehicles plus an unused rusting derelict 40 foot container, dumped there ten years or more ago by its Jamaican owner who no longer lives there.
2:01, you obviously missed out Bonnet Close which is also down in that same road system. There are four derelict vehicles on one lot there which if added to the ones elsewhere that you mention makes at least ten vehicles just rusting away in yards. It makes you realise that if this pattern of just one road system in Bodden Town is repeated all over Grand Cayman there are probably far more than the 350 derelict vehicles that DEH think are there.
Lots on the Brac also, mostly by foreign work permit holders!!!. Becoming a real disgrace. Police are quick to hide in bushes and give good people speeding tickets whilst they trying get children to school or get to work on time etc.. but when their own countrymen Blast music, pile up old vehicles on the side of the Road and run around crazily, doing break neck speeds with old battered cars that should not even be passed to drive on the road.. then they have nothing to say or do.
These islands being taken over and we allowing them to do it. So much corruption and favoritism in that Police force! HIRE CAYMANIAN POLICE!
Oh do shut up.
Getting caught speeding has no bearing on other issues. You speed and get caught? It’s on you.
Why don’t you join rcips and fix it from within??? Thought not.
I tried that. I was confronted by institutionalized incompetence, tainted by corruption.
I’m simply talking about using authority to fix bigger issues like investigating who littering our islands with scrap/junk vehicles (this article) and driving dangerous junk vehicles etc and you then going on about join and fix it within? Why don’t you?
Thought not
Anyone check the island off prospect? I walk my dog there and it’s littered with scrap metal and tyres and abandoned construction vehicles. It’s terrible.
There are several both in and across from a rental property on Denham Thompson way. It looks like a scrap yard. Hope they are on the list.
I confronted a couple of Jamaicans who threw their empty beer bottles on the side of the road.
Their hostile response was that “it was bush”.
Must be a cultural thing we are supposed to accept and forgive.
I often see people throw things out their window and am afraid to say anything in fear of retribution, but I do hate to say it. But they do look like Jamaicans.
Maybe Franz could tell us when they plan to remove the dumped derelict NRA vehicles from off Crewe Road? The ones they are trying to hide by letting the bush grow around them.
They can identify owners through VIN numbers.
Fine them for littering.
They have the NRA logo all over them. Though someone thought that spraying over it with black spray paint would fool people.
How can we expect the island be any different when Jamaicans are the known litter boxes. They are the ones who are employed by DOE. What is needed is a section setup with inspectors, who would go out to districts and inspect properties/homes.
When will this happen?
They have likely left the island
something needs to be done regarding illegal fly tippers too. garbage everywhere. I was actually out running a few months ago and approached a police car parked by willow point area. his car door opened and he placed an empty food carton on the ground and drove off. i mean what chance do we have? seriously. i just wish id ha my phone.
12:23pm. They are the ones who are our protectors! Really? They are the main litterers.
Not used to seeing or living a clean environment.
I’ll stop flytipping when DEH resumes a regular pick up schedule.
Twice a week, as required by law.
One quick question, what is the $1250.00 used for when you import a vehicle to the islands? I thought that was supposed to be used for an environmental fee for vehicles. Please comment Mr. Simms.
If a home in a residential area has a number of derelict cars on their private property, can the vehicles be reported and removed?
They make the whole area look very “junky”, but I’m not sure if neighbours can complain and have the cars removed.
Anywhere a certain nationality lives there will be derelict vehicles and a mechanic shop. Who in government has the balls to deal with the problem? They are too busy patting them on their shoulderS waiting on their vote.
Quite true 1:38. That is why so many new developments have covenants forbidding such activity.
classic wonderland stuff…
cig failing to enforce propers laws on junk and derelict vehicles
then spending the peoples money to clear up other peoples junk from private property…..zzzzzzzzz