GREAT BAY--Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure, VROMI, Patrice Gumbs has announced a coordinated clean-up effort that will target roads, overgrown greenery and abandoned and wrecked vehicles as government steps up efforts to improve the appearance and condition of St. Maarten.
Gumbs said the clean-up activities will be carried out over the coming weeks, with the removal of abandoned and wrecked vehicles taking place alongside work to clean public areas, including roads and greenery. He called on the public to cooperate with the ministries and personnel carrying out the work.
The initiative forms part of a broader push by VROMI to address several long-standing issues affecting the country’s public spaces at the same time, rather than treating road cleanliness, vegetation and derelict vehicles as separate concerns.
Abandoned and wrecked vehicles have for years contributed to unsightly conditions in several communities and can also reduce available roadside space. Their removal, together with the clearing and cleaning of roads and surrounding greenery, is intended to create cleaner and more orderly public areas.
The upcoming work also comes as VROMI continues addressing solid-waste management. Gumbs announced during the same Council of Ministers briefing that the new tender process for garbage collection contracts is moving forward, placing renewed attention on the country’s overall waste collection and cleanliness system.
The Minister’s announcement was welcomed by Prime Minister Dr. Luc Mercelina, who separately raised concern during the briefing about increasing littering around St. Maarten and said the condition of the country should reflect the pride residents have in their home. Mercelina said he was pleased that VROMI was moving ahead with measures aimed at bringing the problem under greater control.
The clean-up drive therefore combines government action on several fronts: improving roadside conditions, cutting back and cleaning greenery, removing abandoned and wrecked vehicles and advancing new arrangements for solid-waste collection.
Gumbs asked residents to facilitate the work wherever possible over the coming weeks, as crews move through the various areas.
The effort represents a practical step toward improving the general appearance of St. Maarten while addressing some of the visible problems that have accumulated in communities over time.
