Cargo facilities return to regular hours, ferry ports adjust schedule

Cargo facility operations across the British Virgin Islands have returned to regular pre-curfew hours, while the ferry ports regular schedule has been tweaked to align with the government-imposed curfew order.

This is according to the BVI Ports Authority (BVIPA) who made the announcement via a media release on Monday.

Operational hours

From Mondays to Fridays, Port Purcell on Tortola and St Thomas Bay on Virgin Gorda will be conducting cargo operations from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm.

On Saturdays, both ports will operate from 8:30 am to 2 pm and will be closed on Sundays.

All ferry ports across the territory will be operating daily from Mondays to Sundays, conducting domestic travel only.

The operational hours for the ferry ports on Virgin Gorda and Tortola – which includes the Road Town Jetty and the West End port – will all operate from 7 am to 6 pm.

The ferry port on Jost Van Dyke will operate from 6:30 am to 6 pm.

Safety and health priority

The BVIPA’s Deputy Managing Director Oleanvine Maynard said the port has been taking the necessary precautions to protect the safety and health of all its employees and persons conducting business with the ports.

“During the lockdown period, the BVI Ports Authority worked closely with HM Customs to ensure both agencies maintained the operations of the Ports and that cargo clearance was facilitated in a safe and effective manner,” she said.

“We recognize that some businesses and individuals may have been inconvenienced during the curfew period but the main focus of the Ports was to ensure the safety and well-being of our team and the community at large,” Maynard added.