Penn: Road Funds Favoured VIP Districts
Opposition Leader Marlon Penn accuses the government of directing road-repair money to districts represented by Virgin Islands Party members while leaving heavily used routes such as Ridge Road in poor condition. Penn is calling for a territory-wide infrastructure plan and wants the Recovery and Development Agency to manage road projects to remove politics from spending.
Opposition Leader Marlon Penn has accused the Territory’s government of channeling roadwork funding into districts represented by Virgin Islands Party (VIP) members, while neglecting heavily trafficked routes elsewhere in the British Virgin Islands. Speaking on the Talking Points radio programme, Penn singled out Ridge Road — which he described as “one of the busiest roads in this entire territory” — as being in a “deplorable condition.” He said a hazardous section near a Water and Sewerage Department manhole has been marked by a traffic cone for months, creating an ongoing risk for motorists. “I’m happy to see that the West End is getting some attention and the entire territory needs attention.
But the Ridge Road is one of the busiest roads in this entire territory. It’s in a deplorable condition,” Penn said, adding that the government borrowed $100 million that he believes should benefit the whole Territory rather than selected districts. Penn criticised what he called a lack of planning and coordination in how the government executes road projects. “There seems to be no method to the madness.
It’s a haphazard approach,” he said, describing road crews as moving between districts without a clear, territory-wide programme to prioritise repairs. To address the issue he proposes shifting responsibility for delivering road projects to the Recovery and Development Agency (RDA).
Penn said the RDA should be used to deploy projects, obtain necessary expertise and remove political considerations from decisions about where and when roads are fixed. The government has previously defended its approach, noting the $100 million loan facility covers multiple capital projects and is not restricted to roads.
Communications and Works Minister Kye Rymer said $38 million of the loan was earmarked for major road repairs, but that those projects were in the design and procurement stages as of June 2025. Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley has also said the loan’s project list includes water-network improvements and primary road upgrades across all districts, along with work on schools, health facilities, sewerage systems and the airport.
For residents, the dispute highlights immediate concerns about road safety, the pace of repairs, and transparency in how public borrowing is translated into local improvements. Penn’s call for a clear, territory-wide infrastructure plan and for the RDA to lead execution sets up a policy debate that will affect commuters, businesses and emergency services that rely on safe, reliable roads.
Primary source: BVI News