MORANT BAY, St Thomas — Some motorists in this parish who have been getting away with breaking the rules are in for a rude awakening. Mayor Hubert Williams announced at January’s monthly meeting of the municipal corporation that the clamping of illegally parked motor vehicles is now in effect. There is a $2,500 charge to remove the clamp.

It is part of a wider plan to maintain order and free flow of traffic in Morant Bay, one of the measures Councillor Williams (People’s National Party, White Horses Division) said he will focus on during his stint as mayor.

“I have lived in many cities before; therefore, I understand how a city should operate in an organised way. As the mayor, I could not overlook clamping because the congestion in the town was getting worse each day,” Williams said at Thursday’s meeting.

He said he was unclear why the measure was not in effect before, but now that the power is in his hands, he intends to put a structure in place.

Acting superintendent of the Morant Bay Fire Department, Wayne Knox, has welcomed the move, saying haphazardly parked vehicles have impeded fire fighters’ ability to effectively do their job.

“We have been having challenges when we have to respond to calls in areas such as Church Street and Jackass Hill; however, we have seen changes and we really appreciate this,” said Knox.

He used the opportunity to raise concerns about the recent relocation of the First Heritage (FHC) Credit Union. FHC’s new space is in front of the fire station and vehicles of some patrons are blocking the path used by fire trucks leaving the station.

“We have been placing cones to prevent persons from parking in front of the station but people have been moving the cones to park,” said Knox.

Mayor Williams promised that the matter will be addressed.