VI records about 1000 derelict vehicles every year- Hon Vincent O. Wheatley

ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI- There are approximately one thousand derelict vehicles recorded in the territory yearly.

Speaking on the Virgin Islands Voice on Wednesday, July 9, 2025, Minister for Health and Social Development Hon Vincent O. Wheatley (R9) said, looking back at records to 2014 and 2015, nearly a thousand derelict vehicles are dealt with each year.

“The numbers are not going down, so I’m really puzzled as to why every single year we could find a thousand derelict cars. It’s a costly subject to deal with, but we’re up to it, and we’re going to make some reforms.”

The Derelict Vehicle Disposal Fee will provide the necessary funding

In June 2025, it was announced that a Derelict Vehicle Disposal Fee would be reintroduced on September 1, 2025, at the Department of Motor Vehicles.

“It’s a one time fee. We want to make sure that when you import a car that we collect some money so when you are finished with your car and you leave it on the side of the road, we’re happy to pick it up because it’s paid for already and we can have that car moved to a proper place for storage or when we send it overseas for storage,” Hon Wheatley explained.