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Kingston Mayor Andrew Swaby is once again urging citizens to properly dispose of their derelict vehicles, as the municipal authority’s car pound has reached capacity after more than 700 abandoned units have been removed from the streets since January.
The Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC) is now facing a growing backlog of vehicles that it cannot simply discard, with Swaby pointing to legal requirements governing how long vehicles must remain in the corporation’s custody before they can be sold or otherwise disposed of.
Swaby said the problem has become particularly difficult because many of the vehicles at the pound in downtown Kingston are beyond use, while some owners have migrated and left them behind. Others have failed to reclaim their vehicles even after they were put up for auction.
“We have incurred a cost that is not recovered because here you have people who have left their vehicle on the road. We have taken them up and now we have them. The Pound Act has handicapped us because we have to hold it for a stipulated period of time. There are instances where they have gone to auction more than one time and persons have no interest in them,” he said.
Under the Road Traffic (Kingston and St Andrew Corporation) (Disposal of Abandoned Vehicles) Order, 1974, made under section 122 of the Road Traffic Act, KSAMC must first post a notice where the vehicle is being held, giving the owner 30 days to claim it. If the vehicle remains unclaimed, the corporation must advertise it and give the owner another 14 days to claim it before it can be sold by public auction or otherwise disposed of.
Section 122 of the Road Traffic Act also provides that the power to dispose of an abandoned vehicle cannot be exercised until the prescribed steps have been taken and a period of at least six weeks has elapsed, giving owners an opportunity to reclaim their vehicles.
That statutory timeline, coupled with a lack of buyers for some vehicles, has left KSAMC with a storage problem of its own.
The situation follows a wider KSAMC campaign to remove derelict vehicles and other obstructions from the capital city’ streets.
Swaby reiterated that the vehicles can create public health and security hazards, while those abandoned on sidewalks can obstruct pedestrians, particularly people who use wheelchairs and those who are blind.
The clean-up campaign had already been highlighted earlier this year, when KSAMC stepped up efforts to remove abandoned vehicles and other obstructions from public spaces as part of its broader push to improve the condition of the Corporate Area.
Swaby said residents have repeatedly contacted the municipality about derelict vehicles, putting KSAMC in the position of removing them even as its own storage capacity becomes increasingly strained.
He is now asking vehicle owners to take responsibility before their unwanted units become another burden for the municipality.
“So I just want to encourage the residents of Kingston and St Andrew that when you have your derelict vehicle, a vehicle in a state where they have become derelict, try and dispose of them in the proper way. One of the ways you can explore is to see if you can find a scrap metal company and sell it to them,” he said.
The mayor said the KSAMC is continuing to explore options for dealing with the vehicles already in its custody, but stressed that it must operate within the law.
He also noted that the issue is particularly concerning when abandoned vehicles are left on sidewalks, where they can force pedestrians into the road and leave behind debris even after they are removed.
“We have seen in many cases, after more than one notice we have issued for the persons to remove their vehicle, is only when the wrecker turn up persons make an attempt to remove it and we are asking persons to adhere to the laws of the municipality because these vehicles on the sidewalk impede pedestrians, especially our most vulnerable persons — the person in the wheelchair, the blind persons. And also you’ll notice when you move the vehicles the level of debris that is left there clearly poses a public health challenge to our citizens,” Swaby said.
