Government Launches Crackdown on Derelict Vehicles and Illegal Occupation of Public Spaces

Government agencies have been directed to intensify the removal of abandoned and derelict vehicles from communities across Antigua and Barbuda.

The Ministry of Social Transformation will work with the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda, the National Solid Waste Management Authority and the Development Control Authority on the initiative.

Cabinet said abandoned vehicles are unsightly and can create environmental and public-safety concerns.

Owners are being encouraged to remove derelict vehicles from public areas immediately, while the relevant agencies have been instructed to enforce the laws and procedures governing their removal.

The crackdown will also extend to the unauthorised occupation of beaches, roadsides and other public spaces.

People squatting or unlawfully occupying those areas will be required to remove their structures and belongings. The Ministry of Social Transformation has been directed to intervene where necessary.

Cabinet said beaches must remain accessible to citizens, residents and visitors and warned that roadsides and other public areas must not be occupied in ways that obstruct access, create hazards or contribute to unsightly conditions.

The measures form part of a broader zero-tolerance campaign targeting littering, illegal dumping and the misuse of public spaces.