Airport MD Warns Against Roadside Parking
BVIAA Managing Director Kurt Menal has criticised motorists who park along the roadway beside Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport, saying the practice narrows the carriageway and creates safety hazards. The authority has engaged the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force and the Ministry of Communications to introduce enforcement and physical measures, including road markings and bollards.
Kurt Menal, Managing Director of the BVI Airports Authority (BVIAA), has warned motorists to stop parking along the roadway that runs parallel to Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport on Beef Island, saying the habit has become a safety and traffic hazard. Menal told 284 Media the Authority has formally engaged the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force (RVIPF) to address the problem and is in discussions with the Ministry of Communications on immediate remedial measures. "That has created a major problem, not just for the airport, but for the people who use the road because it has become a hazard," he said.
The roadway is a key access route to the territory’s primary airport and is used daily by airport traffic, commuters and people accessing water taxis to the outer islands. Menal and the BVIAA say vehicles parked along the carriageway have narrowed the road, increasing the risk for drivers, pedestrians and emergency responders and complicating airport operations.
Officials link the rise in roadside parking to changes the BVIAA introduced last year: an automated parking system and a new standoff zone intended to improve traffic flow and tighten security around the airport. While the upgrades were designed to modernise operations and reduce congestion, they appear to have led some drivers to leave vehicles on the roadside instead of using the official parking areas.
To restore safe passage along the corridor, the BVIAA says it will pursue both enforcement and physical interventions. The RVIPF has been asked to intervene on parking offences and the Ministry of Communications will install road markings and erect bollards to deter parking on the verge.
Menal emphasised that the Airports Authority does not encourage roadside parking and appealed directly to motorists to heed the advice. For residents and visitors, the BVIAA message is clear: do not park along the side of the road near the airport. Using the automated parking facilities, obeying signage and allowing clear passage for through-traffic will help reduce risk for commuters, airport users and emergency services.
The airport authority also reminded the public that its broader modernisation plans, which include proposals to lengthen the runway to accommodate larger aircraft, depend on safe, orderly ground access as well as airside improvements. Motorists who witness dangerous parking or obstructions near the airport are encouraged to report them to the RVIPF and to follow updates from the BVIAA as enforcement and physical measures are rolled out.
Primary source: BVI News