BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – THE Solid Waste Management Corporation (SWMC), in collaboration with the Police Traffic Department, has embarked on an exercise geared at ridding the island of derelict vehicles.
Last week, employees of both entities officially began the exercise at Durant Avenue, Basseterre, where a number of derelict vehicles have been sitting for several years.
A “crane truck”, the property of the SWMC, fitted with its crew, was in the area lifting the abandoned vehicles from their positions onto the heavy machinery and were transported to the Conaree Landfill.
Operations Officer of the SWMC Randolph Browne, who is also an appointed Litter Warden, spoke exclusively with SKNVibes and explained the reasons for the removal of these ‘eyesores’.
“What you see here is what our Litter Abatement Act speaks to with regards to the issue of derelict vehicles. And from what we have seen, these vehicles, in particular, were seated here at Durant Avenue for probably six to seven years. So we came up with the idea of having them removed for a number of reasons: They are taking up parking space; they show no signs of them being put back into use on the public road; and they are causing infestation of rats, mice and other rodents which can have serious repercussion to our health.”
Browne indicated that the exercise would be executed throughout the entire island. He however explained that vehicles are not haphazardly removed but a process is followed.
“I would say we will tackle the entire island. We have identified a number of vehicles throughout the island that are in dilapidated conditions and it is only fair that we have them removed. We would serve notice to those whom we have identified as owners of these derelict vehicles – some on island and others have gone abroad…so it makes it difficult for us to find those people to get assistance from them with regard to removal. The law gives us that authority to serve notice and it also makes provision for us to claim operation costs if we can identify the owners of the vehicles.”
The Operations Officer indicated that “over 1 000 vehicles are placed on the streets, in ghauts, on empty land with overgrown vegetation and so we are trying our best to see how much we can get off the streets,” when asked how many derelict vehicles are scattered across the island.
SWMC is seeking the public’s assistance in the identification of and expeditious removal of the vehicles, noting that these derelict vehicles could become breeding grounds for mosquitoes that spread dengue fever. “We are calling on persons who know they have derelict vehicles to have them removed as soon as possible.”
Operations Officer Browne explained that it would be better for persons in possession of these vehicles to approach the SWMC and explain plans of having them removed rather than waiting to be approached by the Corporation.
He said persons “can be ticketed for a derelict vehicle under the Solid Waste Management Corporation Act at a fine of $500 and, if you fail to pay that fine within the period stipulated, you then can be taken to court. On conviction, you can be charged a fine of $2 000”.
