Trelawny municipality targets roadside vehicle repairs in Falmouth

FALMOUTH, Trelawny — The Trelawny Municipal Corporation is intensifying action against garage businesses that leave vehicles under repair along public roads, with Falmouth Mayor C Junior Gager warning that the National Solid Waste Management Authority could be called in to remove them.

Gager singled out one operator on Foreshore Road in Falmouth, saying the garage has drawn repeated complaints because vehicles have been left along both sides of the road. He said the corporation had already served the operator, and that the latest document appeared to be a second notice.

The mayor said some progress has been made, as vehicles have been cleared from one side of the roadway. He added that municipal officers are keeping watch on the area to ensure the situation does not return.

Gager said the superintendent of works has been asked to check the location regularly and was there as recently as Friday morning. If the matter is not corrected, he said, the corporation will have to act.

According to the mayor, the vehicles along Foreshore Road have created an unsightly and inconvenient situation, especially because the road is one of the main entry points into the historic town. He noted that people first see the welcome sign for Falmouth, then shortly afterwards encounter vehicles parked along the route.

He said residents and business operators have complained many times that the vehicles have reduced available parking in the area.

Gager said the municipality intends to keep issuing notices to people who store vehicles on public roads. He warned that those who fail to comply could see NSWMA trucks used to lift the vehicles and take them to the dump site.

The mayor said the corporation must protect road users, including motorists and pedestrians. He said vehicles left along the roadway can force drivers to swerve into the path of oncoming traffic, creating the risk of crashes.

The warning follows a recent Trelawny Municipal Corporation operation in the gated Florence Hall community, where property owners were served notices over building breaches. A notice was also issued to one person who had several old vehicles parked on his property.

Gager said a second notice will be issued in that case, and that instructions have been given for the property to be cleaned and properly maintained.