DEH picking up around 40 derelict cars every month
(CNS): With the growing number of vehicles on Grand Cayman’s roads, there has been a corresponding growth in old, derelict cars abandoned by the roadside, in parking lots and other random places. The Department of Environmental Health, which is responsible for abandoned cars, told CNS that over the last two years, it has hauled away over one thousand derelict vehicles, which is an average of around 40 cars per month or almost two every weekday.
Owners are given a 24-hour notice before the DEH wreckers come to collect abandoned vehicles. However, the Litter Law requires that vehicles left in a public place be removed. A DEH spokesperson noted that the law defines a “derelict vehicle” as one that appears to an officer, because of its condition, to have been abandoned.
The law states: “Provided that the opinion of an officer shall be prima facie evidence of the truth of the matters therein contained, and the officer, in forming an opinion, may, if he thinks fit, take into account- (i) the fact that the wheels or any of them, the engine or other parts, have been removed; and (ii) any other factors, taken together with the fact that the vehicle was unlicensed during the immediately preceding period of six months.”
The Traffic Law also addresses abandoned vehicles. If it appears to a police officer that a vehicle has been abandoned, that officer must take charge of it and drive it or have it towed to a vehicle pound, where it accumulates a charge of $10 per day for the owner.
The DEH said that owners with derelict vehicles on their properties can arrange with the DEH to have them removed to the landfill for a $75 fee per vehicle after terminating it with the Department of Vehicle and Drivers’ Licensing. Anyone who is aware of derelict or abandoned vehicles can also report them to the DEH.
Not all cars left on the roadside are derelict; some are broken down and waiting to be fixed. However, these, too, can sometimes block roadways and raise safety concerns. On Monday, a vehicle caused trouble for the school run after it was abandoned on the driveway into Cayman International School, though it was moved later that day.
A number of CNS readers have also raised concerns about derelict cars that seem to have been abandoned in residential parking lots, especially where parking is becoming increasingly scarce. Rental units across Grand Cayman are filled beyond capacity, leading residents to battle for spots in their own complexes.
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Category: Environmental Health, Health
Check Helen Drive. Favorite dumping ground.
Why are they not getting paid to do this. It is very simple. Check the Vin # against the last owner and charge them.
Grogg the Ork: Highway Rampage on the Cayman Roads (Final Collated Version)
Grogg’s Original Commentary
“OI, HUMIES, LISTEN UP! Grogg just seen da most ridiculous thing on dis little rock ya call an island! A car. Abandoned. Smack in da middle o’ da big humie road where yer all drivin’ faster dan a Trukk full o’ Boyz late to a Waaagh! Not a single hazard light blinkin’, no danger sign at da back—nuffin’! WOT’S DA POINT OF HAVIN’ SAFETY STUFF IF YA DON’T USE IT, YA GITS?! Even Orks put cones on our Trukks when dey’re about ta explode, an’ we like explodin’!”
Translation:
“Attention, humans! Grogg just witnessed the most absurd sight on this island you call home. A car—abandoned—right in the middle of your main road where everyone is driving faster than an Ork War Trukk racing into battle! No hazard lights blinking, no warning signs behind it—nothing! What’s the point of having safety equipment if you don’t bother to use it? Even Orks mark our vehicles with warning cones when they’re about to explode—and we actually enjoy explosions!”
Grogg Calls the RCIPS
“So Grogg thinks, ‘Right, dis can’t be normal.’ Calls up yer Protectors of Order—da RCIPS, or wot you lot call ‘police.’ Told ‘em about da car. Nuffin’ happens. Grogg calls again, gives ‘em da plate number, ‘cuz dey actin’ like dey can’t find a shiny, silver grot-mobile sittin’ right dere! Maybe Grogg should’ve painted it red fer ‘em—red goes fasta, y’know!”
Translation:
“So Grogg thinks, ‘This can’t be normal.’ I called your so-called Protectors of Order—the RCIPS, or what you humans call ‘police.’ Told them about the car. Nothing happened. Called again, gave them the plate number, because they were acting like they couldn’t find a shiny, silver vehicle sitting right in plain sight! Maybe I should’ve painted it red for them—everyone knows red vehicles go faster!” (Orks have that strange power that if enough Orks believe something it just happens, their contraptions wouldn’t work in other hands but theirs or explode in the most graphic, catastrophic manner)
Grogg Encounters the RCIPS
“So dere’s Grogg, on da scene, scratchin’ me head an’ wonderin’ wot’s goin’ on. Outta nowhere, a police officer shows up—full regalia, shiny badge, da works. So I sez, ‘Oi, ya seen da stranded car blockin’ yer road?’ An’ she nods like she’s gonna do somethin’. But here’s da kicker: SHE DON’T HAVE ANY SIGNAL CONES IN HER RIDE! WOT’S DA POINT O’ BEIN’ DA PROTECTOR OF ORDER IF YA DON’T EVEN HAVE DA BASICS?!”
Translation:
“So there’s Grogg, on the scene, scratching my head and wondering what’s going on. Out of nowhere, a police officer shows up—fully dressed, shiny badge, the whole setup. So I ask, ‘Hey, have you noticed the stranded car blocking your road?’ She nods like she’s going to take action. But here’s the kicker: she doesn’t have any signal cones in her car! What’s the point of being the Protector of Order if you don’t even carry the basics?”
Grogg Loots the Scene
“Now, lemme tell ya wot an Ork’d do. First thing: LOOT IT. Ya see, an abandoned car is practically beggin’ ta be stripped fer parts! I’d get me grot crew down dere, rip off da wheels, da doors, maybe da engine if it ain’t melted, an’ strap it all onta me War Buggy. Den paint da whole thing green, slap a big shoota on top, an’ BOOM—Grogg’s Highway Gargant, ready fer krumpin’ anything dat gets in its way!”
Translation:
“Now, let me tell you what an Ork would do. Step one: loot it! An abandoned car is practically begging to be stripped for parts! I’d call in my crew of grots, rip off the wheels, the doors, maybe even the engine (if it hasn’t melted down), and bolt it all onto my War Buggy. Then I’d paint the whole thing green, slap a big gun on top, and BOOM—Grogg’s unstoppable Highway Gargant, ready to crush anything in its path!”
Grogg on Tyranids.
“But nah, ya humies just leave it dere like a Tyranid spore pod. Betcha a Carnifex is waitin’ ta jump out da boot—dat beast’s like da baby of a tank and a murder spree dat’d make a serial killer blush. Bristlin’ wiv armor as thick as an Astarte’s battle suit, an’ a face only Gork an’ Mork could love! Ya don’t mess wiv a Carnifex unless ya want yer shiny metal box turned inta scrap faster than ya can scream ‘WAAAGH!’”
“An’ if dat ain’t bad enough, maybe some Hormagaunts’ll come skitterin’ outta da doors—fast little buggers wiv claws sharper dan a Goff’s choppa, chewin’ on yer precious speedin’ cars like dey’re dessert! Dis is wot happens when ya leave a car sittin’ out like bait! It’s like invitin’ a Hormagaunt ta dinner—yer da meal! An’ where’s da RCIPS? Nowhere. Grogg reckons dey’re sittin’ in dere station, arguin’ over who gets da last donut while da road turns inta a krumpin’ ground!”
Translation:
“But no, you humans just leave it sitting there like it’s a Tyranid spore pod! I wouldn’t be surprised if a Carnifex jumped out of the trunk—a creature that’s like the baby of a tank and a murder spree that would make a serial killer blush. It’s bristling with armor as thick as an Astartes’ battle suit and has a face only a god of war could appreciate! You don’t mess with a Carnifex unless you’re ready to see your shiny vehicle turned into scrap metal in seconds.”
“And if that’s not bad enough, maybe some Hormagaunts will come skittering out of the doors—quick little monsters with claws sharper than any blade, tearing through your precious speeding cars like they’re snacks! This is what happens when you leave a car sitting out like bait—it’s like inviting a Hormagaunt to dinner, and guess what? You’re the main course! And where’s the RCIPS when this hive battle begins? Nowhere to be seen. Grogg bets they’re back at the station, debating who gets the last donut while the rest of the road descends into chaos!”
Grogg’s Final Take :
“So here’s da plan, humies: stop treatin’ yer roads like Tyranid nests, teach yer Protectors how ta use a phone without losin’ dere brains, an’ let Grogg handle da cars. At least I’d make ‘em useful—fer lootin’, krumpin’, or buildin’ da flashiest Gargant dis island’s ever seen!”
Translation:
“Here’s the plan, humans: stop treating your roads like Tyranid hives, teach your Protectors how to answer a phone without losing their minds, and let Grogg handle the abandoned cars. At least I’d turn them into something useful—for smashing, looting, or building the flashiest Gargant this island has ever seen !
I know all too well of broken down cars, car left on the side of the road waiting for the tow truck after having a BMW that was a total lemon. I attribute the untrustworthy mechanics for the car breaking down numerous times after leaving their garage weeks later and them emphasizing additional parts needed for the car to work again. This occurred several times. That BMW garage has a notoriously bad reputation of ripping off customers charging considerably more for parts than market rate.
That’s all? They should be doing that many a day.
The Cayman Islands: where we rolled out the red carpet for every old, cheap import, and now our roadsides look like a retirement home for cars that should’ve been scrap metal years ago. Truly visionary planning.
Isn’t this exactly what the environmental disposal and waste handling fees are supposed to take care of when importing a vehicle? $75 just seems like an extra money grab by DEH.
why are the owners allowed to get away with this????
just another day in wonderland……
Until an owner of such a vehicle is prosecuted the issue will continue to rise. Even without plates the last registered owner should be identifiable via the VIN. This will also make owners ensure that registration is transferred following a sale.
What about derelict rusting boats???