Beautiful Virgin Islands

Monday, Oct 27, 2025

Gov't considering to impose fees to use public restrooms at select beaches

Gov't considering to impose fees to use public restrooms at select beaches

Government is exploring the option of imposing fees to use public restrooms at select beaches across the territory. Minister of Natural Resources & Labour Vincent Wheatley said this is one of two alternative options being discussed by his ministry because …

Minister of Natural Resources & Labour Vincent Wheatley said this is one of two alternative options being discussed by his ministry because the current maintenance cost to keep the facilities fully opened to the public daily is “not sustainable”.

“Inevitably, will become a burden on the public’s purse,” Wheatley said while speaking in the House of Assembly recently.

“Consequently, this ministry is currently exploring the option of imposing a fee for the use of the facilities or the possibility of even having the management of these facilities become an entrepreneurial opportunity and will, therefore, put forward the necessary recommendations,” he explained.

If implemented, the minister said the fees would only be applied at beach restroom facilities for which his ministry is responsible.

The ministry currently manages the restroom facilities at Great Harbour on Jost Van Dyke, Long Bay on Beef Island, and Cane Garden Bay on Tortola. Wheatley said his ministry is also making temporary provisions for portable facilities to be installed at Josiah’s Bay until construction efforts to the existing structure are completed.


Maintenance expenses too high

Minister Wheatley also stated that when the Great Harbour and Cane Garden Bay restroom facilities were transferred from the Health Ministry to his ministry in 2018, those facilities came with an annual maintenance budget of $4,000.

But in an effort to improve the restroom facilities at the locations, the budget received an additional $35,000, Wheatley said. However, he said the sum was still not sufficient as the maintenance expenses kept on rising.

“Unfortunately, these funds have been quickly consumed by costs relating to the rental of the portable facilities at Josiah’s Bay, repairs to all facilities, which have been steadily on the increase, and utility bills which have escalated,” Minister Wheatley explained.

Some facilities to remain closed during

He also said that until an effective solution is determined, the Long Bay and Cane Garden restroom facilities will remain close to the general public on days when there are no cruise ship calls to the territory.

“We were then informed that the facility at Cane Garden Bay was kept closed … due to the constant vandalism and an insufficient budget. This ministry has since made the restrooms available on weekends for functions, but ceased as the facility was too often left in a very untidy state, garbage bins went missing, and fixtures were constantly damaged,” Minister Wheatley stated.

He, however, said that the facility at Great Harbour currently remains open every day.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
U.S. and China Near Deal to Avert Rare-Earth Export Controls Ahead of Trump-Xi Summit
Justin time: Justin Herbert Shields Madison Beer with Impressive Reflex at Lakers Game
Russia’s President Putin Declares Burevestnik Nuclear Cruise Missile Ready for Deployment
Giuffre’s Memoir Alleges Maxwell Claimed Sexual Act with Clooney
House Republicans Move to Strip NYC Mayoral Front-Runner Zohran Mamdani of U.S. Citizenship
Record-High Spoiled Ballots Signal Voter Discontent in Ireland’s 2025 Presidential Election
Philippines’ Taal Volcano Erupts Overnight with 2.4 km Ash Plume
Albania’s Virtual AI 'Minister' Diella Set to 'Birth' Eighty-Three Digital Assistants for MPs
Tesla Unveils Vision for Optimus V3 as ‘Biggest Product of All Time’, Including Surgical Capabilities
Francis Ford Coppola Auctions Luxury Watches After Self-Financed Film Flop
Convicted Sex Offender Mistakenly Freed by UK Prison Service Arrested in London
United States and China Begin Constructive Trade Negotiations Ahead of Trump–Xi Summit
U.S. Treasury Sanctions Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro over Drug-Trafficking Allegations
Miss USA Crowns Nebraska’s Audrey Eckert Amid Leadership Overhaul
‘I Am Not Done’: Kamala Harris Signals Possible 2028 White House Run
NBA Faces Integrity Crisis After Mass Arrests in Gambling Scandal
Swift Heist at the Louvre Sees Eight French Crown Jewels Stolen in Under Seven Minutes
U.S. Halts Trade Talks with Canada After Ontario Ad Using Reagan Voice Triggers Diplomatic Fallout
Microsoft AI CEO: ‘We’re making an AI that you can trust your kids to use’ — but can Microsoft rebuild its own trust before fixing the industry’s?
China and Russia Deploy Seductive Espionage Networks to Infiltrate U.S. Tech Sector
Apple’s ‘iPhone Air’ Collapses After One Month — Another Major Misstep for the Tech Giant
Graham Potter Begins New Chapter as Sweden Head Coach on Short-Term Deal
Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa Alleges Poison Plot via Chocolate and Jam
Lakestar to Halt External Fundraising as Investor in Revolut and Spotify
U.S. Innovation Ranking Under Scrutiny as China Leads Output Outputs but Ranks 10th
Three Men Arrested in London on Suspicion of Spying for Russia
Porsche Reverses EV Strategy as New CEO Bets on Petrol and Hybrids
Singapore’s Prime Minister Warns of ‘Messy’ Transition to Post-American Global Order
Andreessen Horowitz Sets Sights on Ten-Billion-Dollar Fund for Tech Surge
US Administration Under President Donald Trump Reportedly Lifts Ban on Ukraine’s Use of Storm Shadow Missiles Against Russia
‘Frightening’ First Night in Prison for Sarkozy: Inmates Riot and Shout ‘Little Nicolas’
White House Announces No Imminent Summit Between Trump and Putin
US and Qatar Warn EU of Trade and Energy Risks from Tough Climate Regulation
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
×