The issue of stray animals and illegal parking are a major headache for the government, Public Works Minister Rayburn Blackmoore has revealed.
Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday Blackmoore said in “going forward” government will seek to put laws in place to address these problems.
He said he is concerned about stray cows, especially in the Portsmouth area, where he said he recently saw eight.
“I am saying that this is a practice that has to stop. There is no reason why any animal should be straying on government road. We have placed announcements over the radio and this is still happening,” he said.
Blackmore said government is working with the ministry of agriculture to have the cows impounded.
“Our law as we speak doesn’t permit police officers or someone with the appropriate authority within the ministry to get rid of a cow. That is why going forward with our laws, we have to ensure that any animal that has been left astray within close proximity of government road, should be put away, at the cost of the owners,” he added.
He also noted that government is having a hard time in dealing with parking.
“As we improve our roads, people start to park on these roads. We will be putting a mechanism in place to deal with the issue. We will be having the vehicles towed away at the expense of the owners,” he said.
That;s a good move.They will learn the hard way.
Trust me that system will work island wide.
That’s a good move.They will learn the had way.
MR BLACKMOORE WHAT WOULD YOU RECCOMEND FOR MAHAUT?
Stray animals is not as big an issue as loud music deliberately imposed by one neighbor on other neighbors with police supporting. That needs to be enforced, not a cow here and there. That’s laughable!
I support you brother! We have the noise abatement Act 1993, which is rarely enforced and if you do complain to the police they are reluctant to intervene. In developed countries like the U.K. they apparently have dedicated noise patrols with power to confiscate equipment from persisten offenders. Noise is a recognized environmental pollutant, except perhaps in Dominica. Tourists have left Dominica before now because of noisy music imposed upon them.
Putting measures in place should include providing parking lots and parking meters. You can’t punish persons if you do not provide an alternative.
Slaughter the cows and give me the meat so I could cook some cow-foot soup! Lol.
Hi, The Government should impound the stray animals that are obstructing traffic. Now the parking situation in Roseau is terrible and the drivers are unprofessional. To easy the parking in Roseau the Governent or a private company should build a parking lot over the Roseau River from the Stadium to the market and that will easy the parking problems. The Police should also issue tickets to the illegally parked vehicles or tow the vehicle within an hour of issuing a ticket. The Government should also recommend that any new commercial structure in Roseau must provide underground parking and any private residence must provide at least two of street parking spots. The Government should also introduce tolls which would be used to maintain the roads.
Have the owners by law tag there animals or brand there cows so the authorities can take them to task when something happens. My suggestion.
Excellent idea. Any stray animals found unbranded on public property should be deemed to have no legal owner and to be forfeited forthwith.
Start with the cows in Portsmouth
Illegal parking of vehicles should be towed away at the expense of the owners. Dominica needs parking meters and parking lots, that money can help maintain the streets. People who are building 3&4 stories should have under ground parking (the first floor).
Who wrote this article? These are two completely different areas of concern…stray cows and illegal parking is the heading of this article…wow!!!! Interesting….
On the other hand, it is quite appalling to see that it is only now that the problem of stray animals is being addressed…I was raised in Dominica and until the day that I left, I remember seeing goats in broad day light sleeping under the social security building, and that wa years ago…
slaugter them cowa ND GIVE THE MEAT TO THE OME FOR THE AGES AND AND UNABLE FAMILY
those cows/caws are not strayed but wild. they have no owners when damage is done
Mr. Minister…I hope when you implement this system…you start with the police officers who also break the law by parking their private vehicles on keep clear and reserved parking. The law was meant for one and all and not some…so enforce your law but hope your “enforcers” follow the law too.
lets get serious, Black u mean the area still have stray cows? and u going to move forward with legislation to deal with it after one person got killed magwa sa Ray u mean u need a law to pound cows u need law to get people to stop parking where they obstruct traffic come on ray best u let Kindergarten kids give u solution to such simple problems, so long i know they use to pound animals dat stray and go in other people property Ray u looking for attention just do de right thing for all ff us
DNO, is the minister reading your page? If he is not, can you send him this?
Here is a simple solution to the stray farm animal issue:
1. Government should identify a piece of land (a few acres) where animals can be kept. That land should include grazing areas and a slaughter area. It must be fenced of course and called “The Government Farm” or something like that.
2. Hire a few farmers who don’t care about bananas anymore to run the place. They must also know how to raise and butcher animals
3. Buy one or two vehicles that are capable of transporting big and small animals
4. Identify two of the lazy police officers that are not arresting anyone or helping to reduce crime. Move them to “farm animal duty”.
5. Every day, those two lazy police officers will get in one of the vehicles and drive around the country, gathering up stray animals. They should also take those that are tied too close to the road.
6. The police officers should leave a pink ticket stapled to a tree or some where in the area, telling the owner that his or her animal (be specific) has be impounded by government. The ticket should have the following:
a. Address of the government farm
b. The cost to reclaim the animal
c. The daily cost to keep the animal
d. The date when the animal becomes government property if it is not claimed
Government could use unclaimed animals as a source of revenue by selling them or by slaughtering them for consumption. This can all happen in two months or less.
@ shameless…that’s your best shot man?
…well i for one like justice and fairness….and these landlords shouldn’t be responsible for paying all the tax in Dominica…they are an easy target for government officials…….their building are far from full most of the time…i wonder if the entire cost of the building is deducted before they pay tax….. this is very unfair…..all our laws need to be upheld….we need to put accountants to work in Dominic
opps…was too impatient…
It’s good to address those pressing issues, but as we have seen it in this country there is plenty of that,peoples here are very opinionated,yet nothing is done about the many issues affecting our country.Teenage pregnancy,the raise in violent behavior among youth in the school,the murder rate,the attack on stay over visitors etc.
With the test match coming up and the in flocks of foreigners in a month time,we better put things in place so that we are not seen by the rest of the world as primitive and underdeveloped nation.
And the solutions to those problems should be communicated to the peoples so they get acquainted with the laws/penalties once you park your vehicle or careless about your animals.
These laws shouldn’t be for one set of peoples either because there is a high level of biasness in this country when it comes to who is doing it or not.
Its time to make your action speak louder than your words. I drove on the coast on my way to portsmouth and almost collided with 5 strays cows wondering across the road little more my life would be on the line. It don’t seem like any change is taking place all you do is run you’ll mouths about it until something really happen again
I wonder why people are permitted to wander willy-nilly all over blogs.
Thank you Mr. Blackmoore. Those Cows on the way to Portsmouth its a diaster waiting to happen.
Those container trucks just packing all over the place and even want to over take. Amen its time. Thanks Mr. Blackmore. Blessings!!!!!!!!!!!
a disaster has happened already a young man lost his life the y need to stop talkin and act…
Take the animals, shoot the animals and then sell the meat like a butcher to cover the costs. Heck give it to public servants on christmas as a “bonus”
@ shameless…that’s your best shot man?
…well i for one like justice and fairness….and these landlords shouldn’t be responsible for paying all the tax in Dominica…they are an easy target for government officials…….their building are far from full most of the time…i wonder if the entire cost of the building is deducted before they pay tax….. this is very unfair…..all our laws need to be upheld….we need to put accountants to work in Dominica
Starting with your constituency Mr. Blackmore.. Mahaut/massacre is the worse. Why should dozens of ppl be stuck in traffic because someone parked on one side soometimes both sides of the road and vehicles cannot move freely. ONLY IN DOMINICA. DO NOT TOW THEM BEST U FINE THEM ATLEAST 300.00. THEN THEY WILL LEARN!!!
Great point Mr. Blackmoore. It is high time this situations are addressed. However, we must all try to lead by example. You are very much guilty of Illegal Parking. There was a time I attempted to approach you personally about this while you were in the act. However, I was distracted. I would love to see when you stop parking in the corner of Great Marlborough and Independence Street when going to Jackson shop. The Barba is has moved so you park illegally less frequently. I will thank you personally when I see that change. Smile – you know its true.
The parking of vehicles on the roads is really a great concern, there is an area in canefield on the imperial road around water cress area and a bit lower down that really need to be addressed immediately.
however that is not the only concern, the buses that are stopping any where on the road to pick up and off load passengers need to be diciplined too, aqnd the government too should errect bus stops away from the traffic area, develop by passes for bus stops not just put up a sign any where they feel comfortable, that is sloppy.
How much money does it take to erect a bus stop? How much will it cost to train those bus drivers to stop only at designated bus stops? and what is the maximum fine to charge these bus drivers when they disobey?
Re. parking. In mr. Blackmoore’s own constituency Mahaut I find the indiscriminate parking of vehicle on the high way a particular hazard, especially now the new road is complete. Previously there were signs prohibitn parking in certain constricted places but they have not been re-instated and I wonder why? More often than not these vehicles obstruct the flow of traffic. Imagine, whe have big tanker trucks with flammable fuel passing through there!
BLA!! BLA!! BLA!! YAKITI SMACK TALK AND MORE TALK THATS ALL YOU ALL DO. EVERYTHING YOU THE MINISTERS DO IS BECAUSE THE PUBLIC TELLS YOU ALL TO DO, NON OF YOU COMES UP WITH AN IDEA OF YOUR OWN.SOMETIMES YOU ALL HIDE AWAY FROM THE PUBLIC BECAUSE YOU ALL SIMPLY DO NOT HAVE THE CAPACITY TO GENERATE NEW IDEA TO STIMULATE GROWTH I THINK THE PUBLIC SHOULD BE THE MINISTERS AND YOU ALL THE PUBLIC BECAUSE THE PUBLIC SEES EVERYTHING THAT NEEDS TO GET DONE AND THEY ACT FASTER THAN YOU GUYS….
THE PUBLIC LIVE THROUGH IT EVERYDAY SO WE ARE THE BEST PPL TO TELL THEM.
@intoxi…so why do you suppose we went to the polls? It’s not because they can think of everything..it’s just that we all can’t be in the same job so we selected some one to represent and we dish out the ideas and information for them to act upon. If you went to school at all you might have noticed even from Primary School we had some called the Class Prefect/President/headboy and headgirl for high school. If you went to SIFOCOL you would be aware of the Democratic process there too. Everyone needs some kind of representation and it does not mean that they are born thinkers and observers. So as taxpaying legal voting citizens of the commonwealth of Dominica we have the DARN right to email/text/call/visit/stop on the street the Minister and tell him how it is. What we like and don’t like and what we hope to see happen in the long term. GOT IT? KNOW YOUR Civil Rights not just your Rights
dno i see if fitting to talk about tax becuase this looks like the picard area…and i know the landlords of building there are paying alot of tax….no mercy on them…they have a little students in their houses so they killing them with tax….while the rest of dominica are evading their land and and building tax and maybe even their income tax….so as long as we talking about enforcing laws…lets enforce this law tooo… lets send some people to jail for tax evasion
Eeheh this is so funny…I’m LOL. Trust me beats the headache I am having now.
Good Idea….Not only the Cows but the DOGS and GOATS roaming the streets….It’s a Health Hazard.
I agree. Tell them where to park their cow and where to tie their car. You don’t even have to tow the car, just put a locking device on the front wheel(s), and make them pay to have it unlocked.
EIGHT STRAY COWS? Dominicans turn vegetarians nuh? I find that is an easy problem to solve. I would welcome a stray cow in my area….it would stray right into my pot. The only thing they would find is de grass dat was in de cow belly…..
lol lol lol hahahaha. I want!
Dear Hon. Blackmore,
Please stop the talking and get on with the required aACTION!!It has been years now since this stray cows issue began; a life has been lost and you still speak of going forward? Sometime last week (if my memeory serves me correct),Parliament met and there were amandments to the Social Security and Insurance acts. Why were these laws not passed? Further, the existing laws authorise the Ministry of Agriculture to impound ALL stray animals. Do we have to loose more lives before we take these matters seriously and ACT?
All this talking and no action has now evolved into an art form, but like everything in this category, “moon does run till daylight come…”
Good idea…not only the cows but goats and stray dogs roaming the streets and beached. Its a health hazard.
I mean beaches (correction)
and people should pay their land and house tax too…it’s time that the people face jail time….
and who knows they maybe evading income tax too…this has got to stop…
Tiny are you off you medications again? Oh brother!
In all seriousness, considering the precipitous upsurge of lawlessness (from the mundane to the most heinous) on island, government need not seek to be knee-jerked about the crime onslaught by implementing ad hoc remedies to problem.
Instead, government should enlist the foremost legal minds, inside and outside of Dominica, for advice on how to craft a comprehensive strategy to address rising criminal behavior taking root nationwide.
Anything short of a full-scale, comprehensive approach aimed at stemming the tide would be a waste of time.
GO BLACKMORE,GO BLACKMORE, GO BLACKMORE! THE SOONER, THE BETTER SIR!
Excellent moves. I hope the law that allows the police to, “put away” stray animals is put in place sooner rather than later. That might be a good program to help feed the needy with beef, mutton and goat meat.
DNO, please help me with this: Sheep is lamb or mutton, cow is beef, pig is pork, what is goat? Is it just goat? If so, that is discrimination against goats.
Ok, just for you.. Curried goat. how about that?
Goat meat is call Shrevon
You mean “chevon” perhaps?
Oh and the cow situation; see it first; cook it first.
ahhahahahahahahaha i like that, .
Ok, where do I start on this one. Illegal parking? I think this is the answer to Dominica earning more revenues. SO let’s see, Roseau, Canefield,Mahaut, Newtown. With just these 3 communities, we already have the opportunities to raise funds.
The govt takes millions to build new roads and a vehicle own simply take a whole lane infront their home to park. Some owners do not even try to pull up on the side, they simply stop their car and go into their house. This is totally unacceptable.
Sure if they are building their house they need leave a space for parking. If not, park elsewhere and walk home, but NO they live there, they have to park there. I think these cars should be towed, and fined. A hefty fine. The police should also get that annoying pink sticker like they use in the USA to put on illegally parked car.
It is just all wrong for these vehicle owners to take over the lanes, causing inconvenience and near misses all the time like that.
Solution: Pink stickers, towed and fined. Let’s see what happens.
I agree to those measures. Dominicans need to be more responsible. The Gov’t for once, makes sense.
i hope dealing with that means that you give them solutions. whare is the parking lots aloted for these people. as Govt you all think of solutions for these not just penalties
Oldfort (…or shoould it be old Ford!). When you buy a vehicle it is your repsonsibility to ensure you have somewhere to park it without causing an obstruction or endangering others. It is not the government’s business to provide you with a parking space. Your vehicle is your responsibility.
@Malatete – are u serious? our vehicles are our responsibilities and the parking areas are the gov’s own. they make money on persons bringing in the vehicles and they cannot at lease provide parking areas? that the most nonsensical statment u could ever have made in ur entire life. best u dont even come back on DNO. shame shame shame….but from how i get it…you dont own a vehicle…..pray to God u never own one. cause i wish they personally discriminate on u when u parking in roseau!!!!
Milly, yes I do own a vehicle. Yes, i’ve also incurred a parking fine in Roseau. Yet, I hold the view that neither the Govt. nor the City council ha a duty to provide me with a parking space. I would not object to paid parking. Either that or leave the vehicle at the town perimeter and walk. Roseau is easily crossed on foot, east to west, north to south in 15 minutes.
I agree that Roseau should have a parking lot, but what about the home owners who have been building their houses with no garages. Come on.. I say tow them and let think about where to park.
THATS THE WAY TO GO MR BLACKMORE, BLESSINGS !!!
d government doh have work ..time to adress d real issues…. ?
Start charging for parking!!
Well then if they have to start to charge for parking you know that they’ll also have to identify proper parking lots in and around the capital. Let’s start with the West bridge area. Build something decent and sturdy and then we will pay the $2.50 like we do when we enter Astaphans parking area. Go do our business when we are done go get our vehicles and pass round and collect our stuff we can’t carry by hand. The laws must provide for some leniency considering the entire city is badly organized for shopping and offices. Take that to Parliament.
Hurry put the laws in place. Animal and Cars are a problem
i hope so because the boy died as a result of the cows…no one ever came forward. They tie their cows for the first two days and then as if nothing ever happened. not little cows that on the tibay area and picard still. somebody even put up spray painted signs saying look out for cows. this thing is really getting outta hand. I don’t know why police don’t just shoot them and donate to the homeless and less fortunate. let me see if somebody will claim them now.
All of Roseau is “Reserved Parking” and “Parking For Loading & Unloading”. So, Mr. Minister, please tell me where you expect we license paying citizens of this country to park???!!! On your head????!!!
true ner my girl.. so all those license paying citizens that getting parking, i wonder where they getting it. wake up from ur bed early enoughto head to work n u will get parking. u will not get if u reaching work late everyday and that is if u hv vehicle!
After all that, the business owners have 2 and 3 vehicles parked in close proximity to their business place, basically occupying a whole street for they alone.
I believe that there should be limited parking in Roseau. People who work in Roseau, park all day until they are ready to leave, while people who wish to do business there have to park in timbuktoo and walk to where they are going to conduct business. This is just not right.
Persons who work in Roseau should park in the Next Level parking area across the river from the stadium and free-up Roseau.
While on the Topic…I wish to say Kudos to Astaphans for purchasing a lot for use by their customers.
Tell de cow owners to find proper parking for dem cows.
Very good Mr Blackmoore…..I will let you know when i think you are wrong and applaud you when i think you going right……
Dealing with illegal parking? THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!
Please start by focusing on Mahaut. Then outside the State House complex by Fort Young.
Look at how well Newtown has curbed it’s illegal parking problem.