Curbing roadside wrecks: Govt to impound abandoned vehicles blocking roads

Immediate action will be taken to tackle the ongoing issue of abandoned vehicles lining the shoulders of roads countrywide. Minister of Public Works Bishop Juan Edghill shared this commitment during a live broadcast on Friday.

He warned that the government would no longer tolerate what he described as “stubborn” individuals who jeopardise the safety of others.

The minister spoke at the old railway embankment behind the GuyOil Gas Station, where a vital road is being built but is blocked by abandoned vehicles owned by Global Spare Parts and Auto Sales.

“We have cleared this area more than five times of derelict vehicles, and the same thing continues to happen again and again,” he stated. “What we have is the owner of this business bringing these two heavy-duty trucks and blocking the derelict vehicles, preventing the contractors from doing their work.”

Minister Edghill explained that the owner of the trucks has refused to move them, while a senior representative on site attempted to negotiate for more time. Both requests were rejected.

“The government will have no choice but to impound these trucks and get on with its work. The parapets do not belong to individuals and businesses. This is an eyesore, it is a hideout for criminal activity, and it is a total disrespect to all the other people who are living in the neighbourhood,” the public works minister stressed.

He said the public was being informed in advance to counter what he described as potential misinformation.

“We are taking these vehicles today,” the minister firmly stated.

Residents and businesses, he added, have been repeatedly warned to remove derelict vehicles, sand, mud and other obstructions from the carriageway.