Shocking! Less than a quarter of gov’t vehicles insured
Less than a quarter of government vehicles in the BVI are insured, Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley has revealed.
The shocking disclosure prompted renewed concerns from Opposition legislator Melvin ‘Mitch’ Turnbull about compliance with local laws and the financial burden on taxpayers.
Turnbull questioned the Premier during the July 3 House of Assembly sitting about the current insurance policy for government vehicles, asking how many were insured and how much was spent on repairing uninsured ones over the past five years.
Dr Wheatley reported that there are 328 vehicles in the government fleet.
“Total number of those vehicles insured is 51. Total number of vehicles which are uninsured are 261,” Dr Wheatley stated.
He added that over the past five years, the government spent $1,036,811.50 on vehicle repairs, but only $1,401.61 on accident claims for uninsured vehicles.
Premier Wheatley explained that the government traditionally uses a self-insurance approach.
“With respect to the matter of uninsured government vehicles, it has long been the established policy of the government to self-insure the majority of its vehicle fleet,” he said. He added that ministries and departments are not prohibited from obtaining private insurance where budget permits and risk warrants it.
However, Turnbull challenged the rationale, citing previous discussions with officials from the Deputy Governor’s Office who indicated that the policy required all government vehicles to be insured.
“I asked the question about government vehicles and what is the policy… the panel responded and said the policy states that all government vehicles should be insured,” Turnbull argued.
Dr Wheatley acknowledged the inconsistency and said he would investigate.
“If there’s a policy, it’s expected that we should follow that policy. And if we don’t want to follow it, we should change it,” he stated.
Turnbull pressed further, questioning why the government would not follow the same legal standards required of private citizens.
“If it is indeed the law of this territory that every private citizen operating a vehicle on government roads should have insurance, why doesn’t the government follow its own law?” he asked.
Premier Wheatley said he would need to clarify the legal question before responding.
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I waiting for one to hit me for the longest while!
The car stuff is a big nothing burger. But on to the story. I was but a lad when this story was relayed to me and can not attest to its veracity, but it goes as follows. After hurricane Marilyn (1995) there was substantial damage to the BVI power network but there was insurance in place. The government went to the insurance company after the storm and the insurance company said, sorry, you’re not covered, you never paid the last premium. The government said they had paid and had a record of the payment. The government went to the people responsible for the payments and eventually found the un-mailed check for the last premium in a secretaries purse.
I am assuming,the secretary,likely a BVIslander was subsequently promoted and retained.
Doubt she was a Philipino. Sigh! Reliability is their middle name.
Give me a damn break. I am sure you are taking home more than a cheque in your purse. Fillipinos are perfect? Please put cameras up in discrete places all you businesses who like to import labour nd you will see and hear things. These people don’t even like you and speak terribly about you, your businesses and your country. The exchange rate is their only driver, U$1 to PHP56.50. Saw one picking up an old mattress from the dumpster so they are not even going to spend a dime more than they need to in your country. Selling out is what you are doing. Young BVIslanders are the ones suffering. But carry on. The same locals will help business owners if you need it. Nonsense.
What’s truly concerning is the increasing misuse of government vehicles, especially on weekends. It seems some of these vehicles are being used more for personal errands than for official duties including transporting individuals unrelated to government business.
To protect the integrity of public service and reduce liability, a policy should be implemented requiring government vehicles to be parked after working hours and on weekends, unless officially authorized for 24-hour use.
There also needs to be a clear list of who is assigned a vehicle for fulltime use and who is not. This would ensure accountability. The police should also be empowered to intervene when misuse is evident.
It’s time to put proper systems in place instead of making excuses or allowing political favoritism to get in the way of responsible governance.
You are right. You know how many times government vehicles pass me on weekends sometime when the driver sipping their mixed drink or rum? Broad daylight.
Not to mention the water and sewerage vehicles. I don’t want to see any water and sewerage worker going home with any vehicle especially after they already turn the water off by 6pm. What is the point of that if water is off? If there is an emergency go to the facility and collect the vehicle.
slackers and the slackness top to bottom. Unprofessional,unaccountable moo moos and bourgeois criminals.
Hope they are not transporting the getaway murderers as cover-up to ports of departure and or entry or to their local hiding places among the least suspected of local accomplices.
The possibilities of misuse are endless among the brazen and self entitled.
Much better if the government paid employees a per-mile rate for them to use their own cars for government business. Hundreds of government cars are ridiculous.
This is only shocking to people who haven’t been paying attention. Government never insured their vehicles so why is this a surprise? The Government, same as large corporations, self-insure and cover the cost of any liabilities incurred with respect to the motor vehicles. Let’s stop trying to make stories where there aren’t any. The real question maybe would be how much money does government spend on average annually on vehicle accidents/claims/liability issues and compare that to what government would have paid to private insurance. Then we would be making sense. Right now this is just tit for tat bullshit that helps nobody because this is not something new.
Looking at the amounts, the Government has actually saved tons of money, if the information is accurate.
just give every driver in the BVI a government vehicle! Just buy fuel and drive for free!
Just Google “Does Gov’t insure or self insure their own vehicles”. AI Overview
Governments typically self-insure their owned or leased vehicles, especially for Crown-owned vehicles used on government business. This means they don’t purchase commercial insurance but rather manage the risk internally, acting as their own insurer.
I know this is the case in the US and Canada.
Of course it’s nothing new. If the Opposition Member did a simple google search like you did if he wasn’t aware, this would be avoided! But he knows FULL WELL from being in the House 12yrs and as a Minister in Cabinet, he is well aware of the fact that govt does not use private insurance for vehicles.
Self-insured does not mean you do nothing. How much is in the self-insurance fund? If there was one, Natty would’ve been quick to say!
Is so low because you don’t repair and refuse or delay payment for third parties until they give up disgraceful.
What’s going to happen when an uninsured government vehicle kills or maims someone!
Are government vessels insured?
OH Boy. Something else to tidy up. When we going to have something positive. Some people getting a bad press for negative comments. When are we going to get something positive.
Every day it becomes clearer UK need to save the people of the VI.
Next question please is. How may Gov owned buildings are insured/not insured. Dont want another disaster on top of disaster like we had with IRma.
Please someone ask. Season is here and it is hotting up.
Go take three seats back and sit in your colonialist chair. UK/England will neve rule here or the world again.
Empires and people come and go and your tme done gone.
Face the truth and stop posting nostalgic wishes.
It amazes me that the new colonialists like yourself never have a case to argue. You just tell people you don’t agree with to shut up and commonly post racist and hateful comments.
What is your case for why it is OK to disappear $3,000,000,000 of the peoples money and have nothing to show for it in the infrastructure.
You never want to konw where the $20,000,000 went. The $5,000,000,000 went. $7,000,000 dollars went.
You don’t want to konw. And I wonder if that is becasue you already know. Is it you are one of the new colonial style elite that benefit from minimal wages for hard work and expect handouts and to be given lucrative consultancies for no results and big projects so you can slice and dice and give you self inflated contracts that are not fulfilled or quite simply just disappear money into your and your friends pockets.
The only explanation for why you have no answers but just hate and racism is because you like the planters are the ones that benefit from a sustem without outside controls to stop your oppression of the people.
Oh, forgot.
Is it not illegal for cars to be on the road without insurance?
It’s the photo of the fat weasel at the back that’s really disconcerting. This entirety territory is a joke.
Governments do not insure their vehicles around the world. The insurance expense annually is seen as an unnecessary expenditure where the government itself can cover any arising losses. This is not a new strategy and approach.
So if money is not being spent. Where is our $3Billion.
That’s
$3,000,000,000.00 that has disappeared into the hands of friends and family. Now wonder they have tint on their windows.
Time to investigate the fraud being committed. Time to stop cars with tin, riders without helmets.
Time to have law and order back.
STOP THE FRAUD. STOP THE CORRUPTION.
SAVE THE VI.
Sorry to inform You but that chap OWNS the building , why you think they call him the notorious B I G on the street ( the big YOUTH , is only doing an acting job as. our premier .
But of course, I expect no less. This is why you are reaping the fruit of the sour grape seeds you planted-enjoy. Young men getting killed by the dozens-NOTORIOUS indeed.
MASTER WEATIE IS SAYING )> MITCHIE YOU THROWING DAH SH*T AT ME BOI / YOU KNO HOW WE ROLL IN THE VI
$40000 + Government vehicle traveling west on coast road destroys solar street light and totals front end of vehicle on the opposite side of the road ! Insured or not impaired or not?
Shocking what. Cut the sensational tirade. You dam well know most of gov vehicles are not insured.