Visitors departing the Virgin Islands have reported concerns about fluctuating taxi fares and uncertainty over which transportation operators they can trust, prompting recommendations for stronger regulation, expanded payment options and rideshare services. Senator Marvin Blyden says he intends to introduce legislation aimed at bringing unregulated transportation operators under greater government oversight.
The concerns were outlined Tuesday during a hearing of the Senate Committee on Economic Development and Agriculture by Bernesha Liburd, senior project analyst at the Bureau of Economic Research. Ms. Liburd said feedback collected through visitor exit surveys indicated that informal taxi operators, commonly referred to as "gypsy" drivers, should be “brought into compliance” and that “alternate options of payment must be enforced.” Visitors also recommended allowing rideshare services for “one to three passengers” and modernizing existing taxi fare structures.
According to Ms. Liburd, “a lot of it had to do with fluctuating prices, and sometimes a lot of it had to do with not knowing exactly who to trust in terms of who do we ride with as a tourist who is not informed about our community in that way.”
She said the territory's tourism industry “could thrive while improving ridership satisfaction” if the transportation concerns were addressed.
Senator Blyden agreed that the industry needed greater regulation but questioned whether the bureau had determined how much additional revenue the proposed changes could generate for the government. Bureau Director Haldane Davies said his agency would examine the issue further and consider conducting an economic impact projection.
Mr. Blyden subsequently announced plans to introduce legislation titled the Transportation Act of 2026, which he said would establish greater oversight of transportation operators currently working outside the regulated system.
“Because many, many, many gypsy drivers in the territory operate with no type of regulation, no type of oversight, no type of payment toward the general fund…” Mr. Blyden said.
The senator predicted that bringing those operators into a regulated system could generate millions of dollars in government revenue. He said his proposed legislation would also cover safari drivers, limousine operators and jeep tours.
“Because there are many individuals operating, and we are not getting our fair share [for] the government,” Mr. Blyden said.
He also raised concerns about insurance coverage among informal taxi operators, arguing that a lack of oversight creates potential liability issues. “Many of them don't even have insurance, and we are liable,” he said, describing stronger enforcement as “very critical.”
The proposed Transportation Act of 2026 has not yet been introduced, and no measure bearing that title was listed in the Legislature's online bill-tracking system as of press time. Mr. Blyden did not provide a timeline for filing the legislation before the current Legislature's term ends.
