MONTEGO BAY, St James – The St James Parish Council this week shut down nine illegal garages and seized 10 motor vehicles in Montego Bay, as part of ongoing efforts to enforce zoning laws and safeguard public health.

The action was undertaken in partnership with the parish health department, members of the Island’s Special Constabulary Force and the Jamaica Constabulary Force.

Roadside garages are common across St James, and particularly in many residential communities in the parish. Home owners often complain of the unsightly crush of vehicles being repaired next to their properties, and the derelict vehicles parked on open lots and along roadways.

The result, they have said, is that property values have fallen while the environment is created for the breeding of vectors and rodents, which threaten public health.

This week’s crackdown is the latest in a series of similar initiatives undertaken by the parish council in the last two years. In 2005, the council collaborated with the National Solid Waste Management Authority and the police to remove 50 derelict vehicles from public roads in the parish.

The local body has also stepped up its drive to remove vehicles that are parked in no-parking zones in the resort city.

Ian Reid, the council’s secretary/manager, described this week’s action as a success, while lauding the efforts of the agencies involved in the operation.

“This is a good example of agencies coming together, working in tandem (with each other),” he said. “We cannot just allow individuals and companies to occupy public space and do as they please.”

He noted that a similar action would follow over the next couple of weeks.