KINGSTON, Jamaica — City inspector at the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC), Alfred Francis, says the KSAMC will be ramping up its measures to remove derelict vehicles from the streets and urged garage operators to desist from using the pavements as makeshift garages.

A team from the National Solid Waste Management Authority, along with members from the KSAMC, carried out an operation in Moreton Park in St Andrew on Thursday, removing vehicles from the roadway.

Francis said the KSAMC will continue to remove derelict vehicles from other areas within the municipality.

“We are at Moreton Park today, and we have seen where a two-way road has been reduced to one-way because you have garage operators that have taken over not only the pavement but the portal lane for themselves. We have successfully removed all vehicles from the roadway today, and we’ll be going to other areas throughout the municipality to clear these roads,” he shared.

The inspector warned that the KSAMC will not be storing the vehicles but will instead dispose of them at the Riverton City dump.

“We don’t have storage areas so if operators want to continue to operate on the roadway and pavement, note when we remove the vehicles, we are taking them directly to Riverton City. So do not come to KSAMC and ask for your vehicles. We are removing them and we are taking them to the dump. If it is that you don’t want your vehicles to end up at the dump, cease and desist your operations from the government roadway and pavement. Because we are serious about maintaining public order,” Francis said.

He noted that in 2024, the KSAMC issued 1000 public health and road nuisance notices on derelict vehicles and properties. Since the start of this year, some 162 notices have been issued.

Francis, however, said some operators have neglected the notices, forcing the KSAMC to take more drastic measures to rid the streets of derelict vehicles.

“They continue to turn a blind eye to the notices. They continue to turn a blind eye to the warnings. As a matter of fact, they have been very disrespectful to the officers when they come out. So guess what? We are no longer using moral suasion. We are removing your vehicles and we are taking them to the dump. This particular garage though, what has the owner been saying as to why he hasn’t moved the vehicles? Well, I have not had dialogue with him because he’s not rational. Expletives and all…The truth is, at this particular location, we would have issued several notices, and we would have tried to have dialogue with this particular operator. This operation that we have carried out today, as I said before, we have removed vehicles, but I am going to have a discussion with our legal team to see how we can literally, at this point, take legal action because we don’t have the resources to always be coming back to the same location,” he said.

The inspector said other troubled areas include Keasha Park and McKinley Crescent.