Not the territory I know! Smith calls for cleaner Road Town
Junior Minister for Financial Services Lorna Smith has called for urgent action to improve the appearance of Road Town, arguing that the capital’s untidy condition is damaging the Virgin Islands’ image and undermining national pride.
Speaking during the House of Assembly sitting last Friday, Smith said she supported concerns raised about water shortages before turning her attention to what she described as the need to improve the territory’s physical environment.
Smith acknowledged ongoing clean-up efforts, noting that she had seen crews clearing roads in the Second District and later observed another team working in McNamara.
However, she said more needed to be done in the capital, particularly in Lower Road Town.
“I am not criticising anybody. I’m not criticising any side,” Smith said. Instead, she said she was speaking from a position of “critical patriotism”, which she described as the willingness to identify problems that need fixing.
Focusing on the waterfront area, Smith said she counted more than two dozen containers, trailers and boats occupying government property.
“From my house I counted this morning more than 24 containers, trailers, boats,” Smith stated. She added that she had not included derelict vehicles in that count.
Smith also criticised the practice of clearing cargo from containers stationed on government land.
“It is wrong. This is not the country that I know,” Smith said.
She argued that the territory should better reflect the words of its territorial song by maintaining its natural beauty and presenting a cleaner environment to residents and visitors alike.
“We all get up and we sing ‘Oh Beautiful Virgin Islands’ … Let us put some meaning to it. Let us take some pride,” Smith urged.
While stressing that she did not want to interfere with anyone’s livelihood, Smith said cargo containers and similar equipment should be relocated to more appropriate sites so that “Road Town looks like Road Town should look.”
She also pointed to the arrival of cruise ships, saying passengers were being greeted by an unattractive scene.
“This is the sight that they are seeing. It is not right,” Smith stated.
She called on those responsible for creating the clutter to “stop” and “take some pride in the British Virgin Islands”.
Concerns about the appearance of Road Town and other parts of the territory have surfaced repeatedly in recent years. Smith has previously argued that derelict vehicles, abandoned vessels, and untidy public spaces create a poor first impression for visitors, while government ministers have maintained that daily cleaning operations are ongoing and have announced initiatives to improve the capital’s appearance through public-private partnerships and beautification projects.
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Luce going to give Lorna one kick soon. Let she continue to harass that poor woman. And now her brother running against Luce. She is actually saying that Luce is not doing a good job. So I guess Road Town should vote for her brother Mark.
But luce aint doing a dann thing strupzz
Young I don’t see nothing wrong with people clearing there containers of gov Land. What You should be saying is as you done emptying them, move them. Second. About the abandoned of cars and trucks in Road Town. You’re in power now. Tell the representatives for that too he face in caucus to get it done before the Festivities start. We need the space. And yes I do agree with you Roadtown needs a clean up bad
Taint today Road Town looking that way. It has been so when the former rep was there too.
Enlighten me, what else get done in Road Town, except the wall by Banco Popular? Set a jokers!!!
Da 5 million coulda more than clean up RT. Lorna in your corner
The capital is a free for all for everybody do what they want: the loiterers, the fishermen, the car washes, the day laborers, who want to set up shop where they feel and sell juice, trinkets etc. Garage in the middle of town. One huge cluster of nonsense. It feels so good to get out of town and go Fish Bay for instance.
This is happening all over the BVI. Carrot Bay use to be a nice, serene village to drive through. We are allowing persons to construct/throw up permanent structures that are not pleasing to the eyes. Someone needs to get all these permanent dumps from along the seashore please.
@Watch the game If Lu7ce was doing her job no one will have to comment on the condition of Road Town the whole of Tortola needs a good cleaning there is no pride in the government to do that. I grew up in a clean BVI it’s a shame what we have become.
@So you all have to make everything about politics most of you don’t care what the place looks like as long as you are getting a pay check, you have to come with the same BS about this person didn’t do anything about it bottom line she is right.
She can take bank of asian 5mil and hire herself and some other family members to go clean it up.
So long I seeing the parking situation get worst as population grows
And instead of making a multi level parking lot y’all want to squander more money by letting people by lots and sell gated parking services smh
@So you all have to make everything about politics most of you don’t care what the place looks like as long as you are getting a pay check, you have to come with the same BS about this person didn’t do anything about it bottom line is she is right.
Town looking the same way the Government coffers looking like thrash, high debts and no real money Prospect Reef left to suffer, Noel Lloyd building left for dead, West end dock is a joke and the VIP bragging, thinking you fluked the last win you haven’t changed our minds about giving you another term.
The First Major Cleanup The British Virgin Islands Need Is To Start With The House Of Assembly And Clean Up All Those Self Serving Politicians And Let Us Vote For Effective, Honest And Trustworthy Leaders To Work With The People And Move This Territory Forward. Who Respect And Care About The people And Who Are Willing To Listen And Work With The People And Not Behave Like Dictators.
Poor Lucy. Getting bashed from right in her own party. Town is her district and her government in power. So who to blame? Who In Yuh Corner blaming? Tain Lucy?
It’s called National Pride. Let us all start with our homes. That’s the foundation. Look on how greed has gotten us. Look at the Fathog’s Bay Sea front. You know how much attractive business we could have there. Whether it is an Italian, Asian and our very own with coconut trees etc but we find pleasant in turning the multipurpose building and entrance into a world that don’t reflects what we living in. Oh how my heart pains. Get up off you all behind and let us take care of our country. Stop all the photo ups, latest bag, shoes and clothes and take care of this rock. Let us unite and get it done. Government cannot do everything.
Need to clean out the criminal who stole $5Million from the people.
lol no blame on the city manager?
Road Town ain’t no more dirty than Lorna bad ways.
In some other islands there are laws about things like garbage. Laws that are enforced and obeyed. So you can visit a nearby island nation and not see plastic bottles and containers all over the road sides, garbage in the garbage tips. There’s no street parking taking up half the street. You build a house or a building you provide for parking of occupants. They make plans and work those plans. Why can’t we have plans, laws that are enforced? The cruise ship execs told government ministers to their face that Tortola is dirty and we need to clean it up. No one seemed ashamed or appalled when that was said publicly to them. These people have no political will. Their interest is NOT in the best for the people, it’s about them, their bottom lines. Oh beautiful virgin islands is a joke, nice words, no substance. Politicians say things in the press as if we’re not going to read or hear them. To say people will always complain, or we’re going to have all our dreams come true in 13 months, is tone deaf and clueless.