More police presence in RT to assist with new traffic turnaround

With the traffic turnaround in Road Town now in effect, the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force (RVIPF) has increased their presence throughout the capital to ensure a smooth transition of the new changes.

This is according to Head of the Police Traffic Division, Sergeant (Sgt) Augustus Bruce, who told BVI News that officers have been placed at six strategic locations to guide motorists for at least the first 14 days.

These locations include the roundabout, the Republic Bank area on De Castro Street, the junction of Nibbs Street and Waterfront Drive, the traffic lights by Administration Drive and Waterfront Drive, and on Main Street and Fleming Street.

“We have placed persons at strategic positions where the changes are. In addition, with the signs and the road markings, the police are there to ensure that people make the appropriate turns or people comply with the new change,” Sgt Bruce told BVI News.

“Depending on how fast persons understand the traffic and how it flows, you might find that we may have to extend over the two weeks, but two weeks is the time frame that we have in mind,” he added.

Leniency on ticketing case by case for two weeks

Sgt Bruce also said the RVIPF will be lenient during the two-week period and will decide on whether to issue tickets from traffic violations on a case by case basis.

“The issuing of tickets, presently we are trying to avoid that. There are instances where you may have to do it, but that goes by circumstances,” he said.

“There are persons who would blatantly do things. In that case, you will have to deal with them accordingly. Like this morning an officer stopped a guy and he refused and drove past him (the officer). In that case, you can’t warn a person like that,” he explained.

Sgt Bruce further said the leniency approach for ticketing will only apply to persons in breach of the new traffic changes. He said motorists found in breach of the signs and road markings that previously existed and remain unchanged will be penalized.