Abandoned, unused vehicles to be taken to garbage sites; owners must pay to collect

Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill on Thursday issued a firm notice that abandoned and unused vehicles left along public roadways and shoulders will be removed and taken to the government’s garbage site.

Edghill made the announcement during a live statement on the ministry’s Facebook page, warning of the dangers such vehicles pose when left on roadsides. He added that the government incurs costs to remove these abandoned vehicles and containers and owners who wish to reclaim their property will be required to pay the full cost of removal.

The minister said the move is part of an ongoing nationwide effort to keep roadways clear, improve public safety, and restore order to the country’s transport network.

“The issue is that when the shoulders are encumbered, in the case of an emergency, you don’t have anywhere to pass. It’s also a security issue, because people could hide in these areas and, in the evening hours, pounce on people for robberies,” Edghill said.

He noted that this has been an ongoing project, with derelict vehicles regularly removed. The removal exercise will continue across all regions in collaboration with the Guyana Police Force and the Ministry’s Traffic and Maintenance Division.

Edghill emphasised that persons can contact the Ministry to identify areas where derelict vehicles are obstructing road shoulders. However, once the removal process begins, owners will only be able to recover their vehicles after covering all related expenses.

The Minister further urged citizens to desist from turning public road shoulders and walkways into personal storage or business areas.

“We have to bring order back to society,” he said.

He reiterated that such encumbrances endanger pedestrians and disrupt traffic – issues that will no longer be tolerated.

“Over the last several days, we’ve had cause to move and remove items from some of these businesses, and I’ve indicated it will not be allowed,” Edghill added.