DVDL opens new WB office with no inspection pit
New DVDL West Bay Office 
{L-R) DVDL’s Licensing Officers Niuvis Carter and Teneisha Johnson, and Customer Service Officer Sidehan Whittaker 
DVDL West Bay Office Ribbon Cutting (L-R) DVDL Director David Dixon, Minister Bernie Bush, Minister Andre Ebanks, Minister Sabrina Turner, Parliamentary Secretary Isaac Rankine, Minister Jay Ebanks, Deputy Governor Franz Manderson, Parliamentary Secretary Heather Bodden and Nikki Ebanks
(CNS) UPDATED 20 OCT WITH MINISTRY COMMENT: The Department of Vehicle and Drivers’ Licensing (DVDL) opened its new West Bay office last Friday but there is still no inspection pit at the location. The office is bigger and will have more staff and more parking than the old office, which was situated on a small cramped plaza across from the West Bay Police Station.
Officially opened by a number of government dignitaries, the new office is located at Jacques Scott Market Place next to Foster’s supermarket. But there is no inspection area, despite plans announced in 2019 for DVDL to offer them in West Bay.
CNS has contacted the DVDL to ask what happened to the previous plans for a pit at the new site and we received the following response from the planning ministry. “The new location does not facilitate an inspection pit; therefore the Department will continue to focus on efficiency of the many other services offered there. The Ministry is considering a pit for West Bay as part of its long-term strategy. In the meantime, we encourage customers to utilise our other locations as well as the over ten private garages that are available for inspections.”
The new 1,200sq.ft office offers a larger lobby area, more seating and a public restroom and is user-friendly for the elderly and people with disabilities. During the course of this year, 14,241 customers attended the old West Bay office, illustrating the need for more space and staff, but also for an inspection area, since the district has only one private garage licensed to do government vehicle inspections.
Planning Minister Jay Ebanks, who has responsibility for the DVDL, said the old office could no longer provide the level of service that the government wants customers and employees to experience. “This location will not only offer more office space for our customers but will provide better accommodation for our staff, and a place for more equipment, such as the drivers’ licensing machine and QLogik ticketing system,” he said.
DVDL Director David Dixon said the department was still working on making it more convenient for residents to access the services they need. “We are striving to adapt and modernise our services, including those offered online, to better meet the needs of our customers”, he said.
See list of private inspection sites.
- Fascinated
- Happy
- Sad
- Angry
- Bored
- Afraid
Category: Government Administration, Politics
Jay has got a great big scissor game.
Does the inspection put serve any purpose? Drive around town and the roads are littered with vehicles that look like they are about to fall a part.
These are the same vehicles that idiot drivers lower, slap a noisy muffler on and drive like they are in a million dollar F1 car. Next thing you know they are wrapped around a pole because the cars are old pieces of junk.
New place for all the WB derelicts to go beg for money for food (oops – ahem, crack!
I still go to Breakers, as the staff is much more polite and the inspections are done quickly and done right.
What a waste of money. Same service…and rude at that!.
That Ministry has really fallen to pieces over the last two years s
Don’t need an inspection pit to look under a car.
What a joke. So you get inspected and then drive to WB… Because town has 6 windows and 2-3 staff working them.
In which plaza?
The PPM Gravy Train rolls on, but without an inspection pit, so WB customers dont really have a convenient choice – either go to the one garage in WB or drive to Crewe Rd (or worse, Breakers) for an inspection
Maybe the guy from Breakers will build some accommodation in west bay, call it West Coast, with an Inspection pit, then DVDL can move there. He already has the plans, just need some bayers to sell him the land
The inspections in WB are only 6-8 per day, and you have to be in line by 6:30 or earlier to get inspection. This is why I go all the way to Breakers to get things done properly and in timely order!
If they had given a shovel to every Parliamentarian in attendance they could have dug the pit before they left.
Opening hours 11am-12pm, then 2pm-3pm?
Unless there is a staff meeting.
it says it provide better space and seating for customers but I went there with a friend it’s nice but I have to wait outside because they didn’t want the lobby being over crowded and it was like 6 prison in total inside.
I don’t understand why you would even bother if you didn’t build some place to do inspections. You really did nothing. Also someone in West bay is doing inspections for cash. I met 3 people getting thier cars done for $50. Which defeats the point of doing it anywhere at all.
I paid 100.
Price depends on whether you need the inspect to overlook something!
They don’t own the space. It’s leased so a pit would have been unfeasible in that location at least. Maybe gov has long trm plans to build a bldg and pit. That space by the new police station planned might be a possibility. I go GT for inspections on their least busiest days. 15 mns usually
A pit by the new police station site is a good idea. It can double as a staff swimming pool given the water level there. 🙂
Why expend the public funds on an inspection pit when a private sector company can provide the service.
I can get my car inspected and licensed online without ever having to visit DVDL. Now that is real innovation. Kudos to all.
How do you get it inspected online?
The licensed garages can upload the inspection to the DVDL so you can then renew online from your couch at home. I get my car inspected at the same time I get routine servicing done. It saves a lot of time
better than old one so give them time to get it right.
Hopefully the crackheads will stay away.
As usual, one step forward and two steps backwards!! Can’t someone in government,come up with a sensible solution for once!!! Why waste all of this taxpayers money on rent? We have to erect and own these places!!
Better location at least, more parking and amenities.
Yes – you can pick up coffee & lunch from Bayside to consume whilst you wait LOL
Not to mention goody DQ around the back.
Well, they definately needed larger office space and waiting room, but this makes no sense not having an inspection pit. Why do we have to drive all the way to Hurleys or East End to sit in line for our inspections? At least we can pick up a bottle of rum on the way out!
will miss being harassed by the various beggars at the old location
Don’t you worry those zombies will also migrate to the new location which they too may also prefer. The full DVDL experience will continue plus there’s a KFC across the road.
Set sail but forgot the cargo at port.
Dixon… we are working to make it mor3 convenient. What a Joke.
That’s a shame they closed the old DVDL West Bay as it was always a joy sitting waiting for my number to be called. A cultural heritage site and should be dedicated as a tourist attraction along with the Welcome to Hell tour.
It’s not an issue of space or fancy facilities. Go to the main office and it has a good number of windows, but 2/3rds of them are unoccupied. You can sit there for hours while 1 or 2 staff and slowly working through the enquiries.
Red Bay DVDL is horribly understaffed. It’s a nightmare anytime I have to go there. I actually opt to drive to Breakers because of how bad Red Bay is.
@5:37 could it be because Caymanians don’t want to work that hard? Perhaps DVDL should hire some Philipinos like all other businesses, so the public can be reliably served.
World Class!
They are waiting for a volunteer to take all the sand dug up from the pit, for free.
DVDL should only be used for Driver’s License renewal. Inspections of cars are SO antiquated. Waste of time and money. Gov only wants the $$ for the licensing fee so do away with inspections as only the cars that are newer use the facility, those that are dodgy do the “other” method of inspection.
I actually think they should keep inspections but only allow them at the DVDL so that those dodgy cars can be impounded in the dump instead of a electric pole.
You DO know that those dodgy cars are the ones that use the “special priced” inspection right? So only the honest people go to DVDL.
Explains why 75% of the cars on the road at night have illegal headlights, fog lights, spot lights and halogen bars blinding you as they pass and arseholes doing the same from behind!
Wonder if they have better manners at this location?
great job on doing nothing!
Leave it to the great civil service…..
4 ministers, a Deputy Governor, 2 parliamentary secretaries and some hangers-on to open a half finished building? Quite extraordinary. Word class civil service. SMFH.
Nothing else that they are qualified to do. Only surprised Mac isn’t there.
9;10 get help immediately. This is not bad news.