Fares have been updated for island tours, for taxi tours to all destinations, and for the cost of travel between cruise ship disembarkation and popular locations throughout the territory.

The minister indicated that fares had not changed in more than a decade so these new rates seek to align fares with the current cost of living and the cost of operating the service.

“The last official taxi tariff took effect 12 years ago, on November 26, 2010; and it is our hope that the new fares will allow our hardworking taxi and tour operators to earn a fair income as they provide quality service to the public, considering the domestic and international economic factors that affect them as they provide this service,” Rymer stated.

He said the rates were changed as a result of a meeting with the members of the local transportation-for-hire Industry on October 31. During that meeting, the majority voted to increase rates which have since been published in the government’s official newsletter, the Virgin Islands Gazette.

The new rates were put forward in a legislative document titled, Virgin Islands Road Traffic (Passenger Fares) (Amendment) Regulations, 2022.