By Robert Andre Emmanuel
Buses, cars, and trucks will now be included in the government’s net for proposed increase in licensing fees to pay for major road repairs, according to the Cabinet.
Last week, the Cabinet reported that it was mainly ‘heavy-duty trucks and on earth-moving equipment’ that would see the increase.
However, the Chief of Staff in the Prime Minister’s Office, Ambassador Lionel Hurst, confirmed yesterday that the increase would affect nearly all vehicle types, with tractors being the only exception.
“The idea of excluding tractors is that we have about 100 of them registered and they serve agricultural purposes. They very infrequently use the roads,” Hurst explained during Thursday’s post-Cabinet press briefing.
He noted that the special fund would ensure those who contribute to the deterioration of the roads will also help to help finance their maintenance.
“We see no need to place an extra burden on farmers, but for those of us who drive cars or trucks, buses, heavy-duty equipment … on the roads and help to cause the roads to deteriorate, we are establishing a special fund,” he stated.
The announcement has already drawn criticism from the Opposition United Progressive Party, with St John’s Rural West Member of Parliament Richard Lewis calling on the government to reconsider the proposed increases.
Lewis questioned the necessity of additional fees, particularly given recent reports of record revenue collections from both the Customs and Excise Division and the Inland Revenue Department.
In a Facebook statement, he suggested that profits from the Antigua and Barbuda Transport Board (ABTB) could be used to fund road repairs, citing Section 10(2) of the Transport Board Act of 1995, which allows for the ABTB’s profits to be transferred to the Treasury to fund public services like roadworks.
The proposed changes to licensing fees will be part of the agenda for the next sitting of Parliament.
Meanwhile, the government announced plans to remove derelict vehicles from the nation’s streets, starting March 30.
The initiative, to be carried out by the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda and Transport Board, will begin in St John’s, where abandoned vehicles have become a significant cause for concern.
“Too many abandoned vehicles are parked on the city’s streets, making some streets difficult to traverse because they take an entire lane, especially in narrow streets where there are only two lanes,” Hurst said.
The government will also address roadside mechanics whose clients’ vehicles are often parked indiscriminately for extended periods.
According to Hurst, these vehicles not only create traffic obstacles, but also serve as breeding grounds for vermin and pose security threats to nearby residents.
The removed vehicles will be transported to Cook’s dump site, where they will be crushed to minimize space usage before eventually being exported for metal recycling.
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