BVI News

Travellers must now cover cost of transportation upon arrival in BVI

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The government will no longer be footing the transportation bill for travellers who arrive in the territory and require transportation to any accommodation or quarantine facility.

Since the territory reopened for visitors in December, government covered the cost of ground and marine transportation for all arrivals to their approved accommodations. The government have also been paying for round trip transfers between their accommodations and the designated testing sites on Day 4.

But the BVI Tourist Board said in a media statement on Wednesday that effective March 25, 2021, All passengers arriving in the BVI are now required to pay the cost of their ground transportation during quarantine from Day 0 to Day 4.

“Ground transportation costs will be calculated based on the official taxi tariff. Passengers can expect to pay between $5 and $30 per person, depending on the destination and the number of passengers. Passengers are expected to pay their driver directly in cash,” the Tourist Board said.

“All arriving passengers that depend on the established marine transportation from Tortola to other islands in the BVI, will have to cover the costs of marine transportation from Saturday, 24th April 2021,” it added.

Director of Tourism Clive McCoy stated the Tourist Board will carry out consultation with tourism stakeholders, the Taxi & Livery Commission and the government over the next 24 days.

These consultations will be to determine the best solution for covering the marine transportation costs after April 23.

“We want to urgently address marine transportation because the cost can be quite significant for persons travelling from Tortola to any of the other islands during this pandemic. Additionally, it should be noted that all protocols and procedures for transportation remain the same. The Taxi & Livery Commission will assign the approved ground and marine transportation, hence, travellers will not be allowed to make their own arrangements.”

Transportation is not covered in the travel authorisation fee paid by each passenger arriving in the territory via the BVIGateway portal.

The $175 Travel Authorisation Fee charged on the portal covers the cost of two RT/PCR tests at $70 each as well as a $35 fee for arriving travellers to be tagged with a tracking device.

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23 Comments

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  1. Sister Island says:

    What is the cost of private ferry from Beef island to Virgin Gorda?? How can you change this law without setting a price??
    Do visitors have to negotiate with the licensed ferry operators on their own?
    I understand the need for this change, but there has to be some leadership as to how tourists will be able to get to their destination if it is not on Tortola (Yes there are some other places to stay in the BVI besides Tortola)

    Like 25
    Dislike 1
    • hello says:

      So today the 31st March is when you going be telling me that effective 25th March the rules has changed? smh. Andrew how many times are you going to be dropping the ball?

      Like 23
      Dislike 1
      • HUH! says:

        The taxi drivers, especially the older ones, are the biggest scam merchants in the BVI. They charge ludicrous fees, and berate the younger taxi drivers who charge less, and many of them are far to old to be driving at all, let alone driving fare paying passengers.
        I don’t want to be crammed into an old minibus with lots of other people – why can’t my daughter leave a car at the airport for me and I can drive myself home – it would be much safer for everybody.
        Mr Premier please let Uber start operating in the BVI! I am sick and tired of the lazy drivers and expensive taxis in the BVI.

    • Just says:

      Just pay the taxi drivers what you feel like when you arrive at your destination. No published prices or meters so it’s all negotiable. If the guy shoved you in a van with 10 others then pay him $5. If it’s just 2 people straight to your destination then give him $25. Whatever you give a taxi driver it’ll be way too much and he’ll try and scam you for more. It’s just the nature of the Belonger.

      Like 6
      Dislike 8
      • Thievery says:

        A taxi charged $80 this morning to take us to the hospital to get tested! what the hell! another taxi earlier this week charged us $3o something total from the airport to town. How can the prices be so far in comparision. If the prices arent set for these taxi drivers they will rob us. Its just greed. If the taxi driver charged so much this morning to locals how much is it for tourists? greedy!

  2. Fees says:

    I believe that due to the difficulty in accepting fees, the BVI should have a fee accepting fee. This fee must be pre-registered on the fee accepting fee website and must be paid in cash, but only canadian dollars. The fee for converting Canadian$ to US$ must be paid in cash. Also there will be a fee accepting fee fee or FAFF.

    The FAFF or fee accepting fee fee is for the flowers you will receive the day after getting your BVI love.

    Like 33
    Dislike 1
  3. Mo money mo problems says:

    With everyone working from home I have a much better idea – how about I send you $400 via western union. You can then send me a prerecorded video that tells me to go “f***” myself – that way we don’t have to actually run the risk of getting infected and we both have the same experience.

    BVI Love!!

    Like 35
    Dislike 2
  4. hmmm says:

    profiteers in action

    Like 11
  5. Sister Islands says:

    Government just had to give them another kick while they are down. No solutions offered at all while they keep their hands firmly around our collective necks!

    As for the Tourist Board – BVINews wouldn’t print what I have to say about you guys through this entire pandemic!

    Like 16
  6. Pandora's Box says:

    “Over the next 24 days you’ll consult and decide”?! Not a damn group have you, or will you consult with!

    You’re a puppet, that’s it, you have no f-ing plan Bro! Just say so! At least we’d believe that statement rather than feeding us this $hit.

    You going to tell people arriving on the 24th April what the plan is at that time to get to the sister islands? You going to tell the stakeholders last second what the pan is on the 24th April? Set of fools! You can’t make this up! Beyond pathetic.

    Like 24
    Dislike 1
  7. US Traveler says:

    Sorry, VG, Anegada and Jost. NO more visitors for you.

    So sad.

    Like 18
    Dislike 1
  8. Anonymous says:

    1. There are national that come home weekly and don’t have to pay for transportation so this is uncalled for.
    2. If you paying the taxis with cash how f**king safe is that? Let’s say a passenger is contagious and contracted the virus but your lab has a false negative and he handle the monies to pay the fare, don’t you think the taxi driver is at risk?
    3. I think the handling of this pandemic is a bit bizzare but doing an okay job of keeping the cases at 0.on another note How US citizen where the virus is just as bad as other places in the world have a 4 days quarantine period and people arriving from the U.K. have to last 14 days. As reading on the news cases has significantly drop and control in England.
    4. You have more ties with the UK than with the US. Why u all kissing up under the US so much. Don’t you see all them want is your citizen to lock them up for conspiracy theory. We all know some might be correct but they don’t have the proper evidence.

    Like 11
    Dislike 1
    • Anonymous says:

      England covid numbers are WAAAAAAY down. They have a fraction of the problem in the US and the rest of Europe. English should be welcome here. They got their s**t together with vaccine.

  9. Styles. says:

    Another mess-up on the report card of the Fahie administration.

    McVoy and the tourist board:
    Did absolutely nothing for the tourism industry this past year, including this atrocity: FAIL.

    Wheatley of immigration:
    Did absolutely nothing for the workforce, was responsible for the most discriminatory policy in history and creating a divide between people: FAIL

    Wheatley of education:
    Schools? What schools? Does this f**l even realize he is responsible for schools?: FAIL

    Malone of Medical:
    Someone died of covid but nobody is investigating what went wrong. Did not educate t people on the necessity of taking a vaccine: FAIL

    Foi the overs**ed leader of the bunch:
    Responsible for all the mess-ups above and going to war with the UK instead of managing the economy. At the same time wasted money on a portal, garbage pickup, security (we all know it wasn’t wasted but it ended up with him and his cronies): FAIL

    Big freaking failure.

    Let’s hope the COI throws you incompetent people out.

    Like 23
    Dislike 1
  10. vg resident says:

    How about setting up a system for vaccinated folks? The costs are escalating beyond belief.You are not going to get guests to come in under this plan.

    Like 11
  11. Rubber Duck says:

    Everything is being handled by the taxi drivers because they run the best operation in BVI dont they? My back is almost recovered from the poky little van with rock hard dirty seats without any suspension that brought me from the airport last time.

    Welcome to BVI.

    Like 3
    Dislike 1
  12. Lollie says:

    Stop the quarantine! We are vaccinated and would like to bring 24 family members to visit in June. Our final payment for three villas is due in two weeks. If things don’t change in two weeks we will be forced to visit a USVI. What a beautiful island you have, open up and lets play together after such dreadful COVID shutdown!

    Like 5
    Dislike 3
  13. Ex BVI Money Tourist says:

    See ya

    Like 2
    Dislike 1
  14. Same Old BVI says:

    I have an idea. Why not make it as difficult, confusing, and costly as possible and discourage any sane tourist from every wanting to choose the BVI as a travel destination.

  15. Desmond says:

    This is a joke. What was the $175 for? Plus do people in BVI or the Government think that tourists have been getting ‘free’ taxi rides. It was made clear that large tips are acceptable after the taxi guy moaned to 6 of us that he had not received any money from the Government for these trips. One of my friends was offered ride for $30 a when he said no he would wait for the Government taxi cos he dodnt want to break any rules he had to wait 45 minutes for the taxi to leave after waiting for a few more passengers – from other countries so mixing people up. Don’t worry we wont be coming back and have decided next time its the USVI not the BVI as everything was so expensive.

  16. Gwen says:

    Listen everyone, let’s stay away from the BVI until their government get their act together. Let’s see how much they depend on tourism. They don’t want us or need us on their island. Let’s go to places where we are appreciated.

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