| Abdul Hakiim Yakof |
BRUNEI will soon be free of abandoned vehicles that have become an eyesore with the launching of a nationwide environmental clean-up project yesterday.
The project, which was kick-started by removing two vehicles from a workshop area in Menglait, aims to seize and deregister forsaken vehicles in the country.
A clean-up committee, formed by municipal departments and district offices nationwide, Royal Brunei Police Force (RBPF), Land Transport Department (JPD) as the coordinator and secretariat of the campaign’s committee, Department of Environment, Parks and Recreation (JASTRe) as well as finance and disposal companies, is spearheading the first-of-its-kind initiative.
The drive began following a warning letter issued by the Bandar Seri Begawan Municipal Department, and the abandoned vehicles will be removed under Section 84, Chapter 68 of the Road Traffic Act.
A total of 24 vehicles have been listed as abandoned for a long period in the Menglait area.
Dr Haji Supry bin Haji Ladi, Director of the Land Transport Department in conversation with an owner of an abandoned car during the clean-up project
An abandoned car. – PHOTOS: DEAN KASSIM
Owners of 11 vehicles have informed the clean-up committee that they will move the vehicles, while the 13 unclaimed vehicles will be relocated to temporary storage areas and their fate will be decided later.
The campaign will be carried out in three ways to ensure the clean-up work is carried out not just by the government but to also make it a responsibility of the vehicle owners who simply leave their vehicles at workshops and public areas, with assistance of mukim penghulus and village heads nationwide.
Twenty-six other vehicles were also identified in the area, two of them believed to be from a neighbouring country.
Regarding this, the second approach is to issue a warning, based on the Minor Offences Act, from the Municipal Department to workshops or owners of the vehicles to move these vehicles within 14 days.
Failure to do so will result in the owner or workshop facing a fine of $500 for each vehicle.
Companies appointed to the clean-up committee have been given clearance to move vehicles that have been identified as abandoned through complaints made by the public.
These companies will remove the vehicles starting immediately until the end of the campaign which will be announced at a later date.
Members of the public are urged to cooperate in the efforts to make the campaign a success to safeguard the image, collective peace and prosperity of the country.
As a third approach to ensure smooth running of the clean-up drive, all penghulus and village heads in the country will be asked to assist in monitoring their respective village areas and urge owners of abandoned vehicles on road sides or public places in their areas to relocate their vehicles.
They can report such vehicles to the JPD.
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