Draft regulations needed to bring the Cayman Islands’ new derelict vehicle removal measures to life have been written and returned to the Ministry of Health, Environment and Sustainability.
Environment minister Katherine Ebanks-Wilks, speaking on Radio Cayman on 31 July, said she had fielded a stream of calls since the Litter (Amendment) Act, 2026 passed in March.
Residents had asked her why abandoned cars were still sitting on the roadside days after they had reported them to the authorities, she said.
The reason, Ebanks-Wilks explained, is that the “teeth” of the new law, its enforcement regulations, have not yet been established.
She said a legislative drafting team had sent a set of draft regulations back to the ministry, which was working through them “very quickly”.
Once approved by Cabinet, the regulations will provide new mechanisms to the Department of Environmental Health to remove derelict vehicles more rapidly.
The regulations, the minister said, will assist in removal even where a vehicle’s registration has not expired.
Thes act sets a dedicated penalty for owners who ignore an order to remove a derelict vehicle.
On summary conviction, owners could face a fine of CI$1,500 plus a further $250 for each day the failure continues after conviction.
The forthcoming regulations will clarify what qualifies as a derelict vehicle, defined in the act as one “designated as such” by the regulations.
Speaking during the 31 July broadcast, Department of Environmental Health director Richard Simms explained that, until those regulations are in place, the working definition remains the same as before.
To meet the threshold currently, he said, a vehicle’s registration must have expired or been suspended for more than six months.
After that, the vehicle can be assessed as abandoned, based on its condition and missing parts, before officers can act.
The amended act establishes the parties authorised to enforce the law to include police constables and environmental health officers.
It also empowers the Cabinet to establish regulations allowing officers to request owner information from the Department of Vehicle and Drivers’ Licensing and to mandate the payment of fees for the removal and storage of derelict vehicles.
