Health hazard

Residents of Chapel Gap, Paynes Bay, St James are not happy that a minibus has been abandoned on an unoccupied private property for many years, and that the owner of the property is saying that he is not paying to move it.

Barbados TODAY understands that the minibus, which has been on the property for over ten years, has now become a health and safety hazard.

Residents complained that not only is the old vehicle now home to rodents, but it is also a shelter for unsavoury characters at times.

It is understood that health inspectors who visit the area are aware of the
residents’ concerns.

Residents said they have contacted the owner of the property pleading with him to have the vehicle removed, but nothing has been done.

However, when contacted, property owner Rudolph Greaves told Barbados TODAY that he has made up in his mind that because the vehicle is not his, he would not be paying to have it moved.

Resident Selwyn Thompson told Barbados TODAY that he was one who especially wanted to see the abandoned vehicle removed because it was causing him a huge headache.

Thompson said that while he was attempting to sell his property, persons who come to view it, are often turned off by the minibus, which they said was an eyesore.

“If I am going to make any kind of progress with this sale, this would have to go. People come and look and they realize that this would have to be moved. But it is still a process in getting it moved.

“Moving it would make the land more attractive because right now it brings down the value of the area. But I heard that Government has an initiative to clean up these derelict vehicles and so on, and I am hoping that this is one that would go,” Thompson said.

Meanwhile, Greaves said he was surprised that the old bus was still on the property because on more than one occasion he had asked the person he had given permission to place it there to remove it.

“Up to last week, I told one of the owners to tell the other guy to move it because I don’t want to pay to move it. I told them to move it.

“Nobody ain’t got to tell me it want moving, I know that. But when it moves I ain’t want to be no part of it. I got to sell that spot now so I got to clear it too. But I ain’t paying to move it,” Greaves said.

An official in the environmental department, at the Branford Taitt Polyclinic told Barbados TODAY that the department had not received any complaints about the environmental concerns surrounding the abandoned bus, however, gave the assurance that the matter would be investigated immediately.