The US Virgin Islands government has launched an aggressive campaign to rid streets and public areas of abandoned and hazardous vehicles, with enforcement now underway across all districts.
Announced by Government House, the initiative began in August and is coordinated through the Office of the Administrator in each district. Officials stated that vehicle owners bear the legal responsibility for removing abandoned cars from their names, and have been given a three-day window to comply once notified.
The enforcement framework includes three main consequences for non-compliance. Owners must act within 72 hours of receiving official notice on their vehicle. Those who fail to remove tagged cars will have their names entered into a public registry and disclosed. The Bureau of Motor Vehicles will place liens against the last registered owner, along with additional fines and processing costs.
On St. Thomas, however, the effort has met with an unexpected obstacle. Rather than removing vehicles entirely, some owners have relocated them to different streets. Cars previously stored in lots near Emile Griffith Park and the GERS building have surfaced on streets around lower Konprindsens Gade, near The Muse, and outside the V.I. Department of Tourism's downtown location, where they continue to occupy parking spaces.
No count has been made public of vehicles successfully removed since the programme started. Residents listed on the active notice registry or seeking help can reach the Office of the Administrator at (340) 693-4316 or (340) 774-0001.
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