Monitored sessions, exclusive remote lighting systems coming for major recreational facilities

Monitored sessions and remotely-operated lighting systems will be introduced at the major recreational facilities in the BVI.

This is according to the Director of BVI Recreational Trust Stephen Payne who said facility managers will be present at specified times to ensure the smooth operations at the AO Shirley Recreational Grounds and the Multipurpose Sports Complex in Road Town.

“We will be rolling out a schedule which will try to couple both the need for the general public but also secure the timeline for the training athletes that utilize the track on a daily basis,” Payne said.

“We will have from 5am to 7am in the morning, which the general public can use to walk the track, run, etcetera. Then there is a possibility of having an evening session between 6pm to 8pm based on the utilizing of the surface by the track clubs,” he further explained.

Payne, in the meantime, said facility managers will now be the only persons who will have access to the ‘remote timers’ for the lighting systems that are to be introduced to the facilities.

Payne believes this measure will help save the Recreational Trust a tremendous amount of money.

“The timers we had in place before were accessible by [any] person and the persons who choose not to leave the courts when the lights go off tampered or destroyed the timers for the lights to stay on longer,” the Director explained.

“We don’t want to go that route again where we have to be purchasing timers on a consistent basis to replace those that were damaged,” he said.

The recreational facilities boss added: “The lights that we use right now are halogen lights and not the L.E.D, so they are very costly. The outdoor facilities, especially the bigger ones, when you have eight poles carrying the minimum of eight lights, some up to twelve light bulbs, you’re looking at somewhere between $800 to $1,000 an hour per pole.”

The new policies and measures to be implemented are part of the plan to eradicate the recent incidents of theft and vandalism experienced throughout various recreational facilities within the territory.