He explained that the delays are due to changes that had to be made to the way that contracts for bush cutting are awarded as a result of the implementation of recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry Report.

“There were many processes that had to be revised in our daily operations. This was one of those things that came under the umbrella of revision for contracts,” Permanent Secretary Smith-Berkeley said in a Government Information Services (GIS) press release today, October 7, 2022.

It said while the comprehensive review of the bush-cutting policy and administrative issues are underway, the Ministry and its agencies are implementing measures to address the situation.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Communications and Works, Mr Ronald F. Smith-Berkeley has stated that the Ministry has experienced some administrative delays in attending to bush cutting throughout the Territory.

Additional attention to be given to road maintenance

The Department of Public Works and the Department of Waste Management will be giving additional attention in the maintenance of the Territory’s main road network.

“The Public Works Department will continue to do its part to ensure safety on the roadways, and the clearing of obstructions on the roadways include, bushes, rocks, tree limbs and the like,” said the Director of Public Works, Mr Jeremy W. Hodge.

Mr Neville Allen, Acting Manager at the Department of Waste Management said that the team at the Department of Waste Management is also using their current collection zone schedule to guide in the increased effort to ensure a clean VI.

The Government of the Virgin Islands is asking that motorists continue to drive with diligence as the collaborative effort by its agencies take action in providing safety on the Territory’s roadways.