FALMOUTH, Trelawny — Local municipal authorities in Jamaica’s Trelawny parish have stepped up enforcement against unregulated roadside garage operators that encroach on public roadways with vehicles under repair, with Falmouth’s mayor issuing a stark warning that non-compliant operators could have their abandoned or improperly parked vehicles hauled away by the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA).
C Junior Gager, mayor of Falmouth, singled out a high-profile problematic operator based along Foreshore Road, a key entry corridor to the historic port town that has drawn consistent complaints from residents, business owners and visitors alike. Gager confirmed that the operator has already received two formal official notices to clear the road of parked service vehicles.
The good news, Gager noted, is that the operator has begun to take steps toward compliance, with one side of the two-lane roadway now fully cleared of the parked vehicles that previously blocked through traffic and public parking spaces. Municipal works staff have been assigned to conduct constant monitoring of the site to prevent the encroachment from reoccurring, the mayor added, with regular on-site checks already underway to ensure full compliance is maintained.
“We have tasked the superintendent of works with ongoing oversight of this area. As of this morning, he was on location confirming progress, because if full compliance is not achieved, we will be forced to implement direct enforcement action,” Gager explained in an interview.
For local officials, the pileup of service vehicles along Foreshore Road is more than just an inconvenience: it is a public safety hazard and a major blight on the image of one of Jamaica’s most important historic tourist towns. Right after visitors pass the large “Welcome to Falmouth” sign marking the entrance to the town, they are immediately confronted by the line of partially disassembled vehicles lining both sides of the road, Gager said.
Beyond the aesthetic damage to the town’s image, the encroachment has created a critical parking shortage for local residents and nearby business operators, who have flooded the municipal corporation with repeated complaints about the issue. The corporation’s current enforcement push will see officials continue issuing formal notices to all roadside operators that are illegally occupying public roadways, Gager confirmed.
“To any operator that is storing vehicles on public roads: be on notice. The Trelawny Municipal Corporation is cracking down. We will be issuing formal notices, this illegal activity will not be tolerated. If you fail to comply with our requests, we will bring NSWMA trucks to remove your vehicles and take them directly to the municipal dump,” Gager warned.
The mayor emphasized that the municipal government holds a core responsibility to keep public roadways safe for all users, including motorists and pedestrians. When vehicles are parked along the side of travel lanes, he explained, drivers are forced to swerve into oncoming traffic to pass, creating a high risk of head-on collisions and other serious accidents.
Gager’s latest warning comes on the heels of a broader enforcement sweep recently carried out by the TMC in the upscale gated community of Florence Hall. During that operation, officials served notices to multiple property owners for violating local building codes, including one property owner who was storing several old, derelict vehicles on their residential land.
In that Florence Hall case, Gager said officials are preparing to issue a second formal notice, and have ordered the property owner to clear the land and bring the site into compliance with local property maintenance regulations.
The current crackdown is part of a broader municipal push to clean up Falmouth, improve public safety, and preserve the town’s historic character as it attracts increasing numbers of tourists and new business investment.