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deJongh/Francis Administration effects crackdown on after-hours use of govt. vehicles

The deJongh/Francis administration Monday unveiled a new policy as regards the use of government vehicles. The initiative is designed to reduce the number of government-owned vehicles on the road after regular working hours including nights, weekends and holidays. 

"This has been a priority of my administration and we have worked with the commissioners and agency heads to fine-tune this plan," deJongh said. The policy, which severely limits the number of employees who will have unrestricted use of government vehicles, will also lead to less abuse of the government’s vehicle fleet, reduce fuel consumption as gas prices continue to skyrocket and at the same time, lower maintenance costs. deJongh said only agency heads and commissioners will have 24/7 unrestricted use of a government vehicle. Other employees with 24/7 authorization will be limited to official use only and vehicle assignments will be made only to employees whose job requires access to a vehicle. "The high costs of fuel and maintenance as well as the historical abuse that we have witnessed for years makes it imperative that we take drastic steps towards reducing operating costs during the austere fiscal times facing the government. Implementation of this new vehicle policy is a significant step forward," deJongh added.

Under the plan, government vehicles will remain available for use during the government’s work day to those employees whose job assignments require their use of a vehicle, however, the bulk of those vehicles will be parked at nights and on weekends. Only a limited number of employees in each agency will have around-the-clock access to a vehicle. "We have identified locations around the island where the government vehicles can be parked when not in use: at night, on weekends and holidays," said Lynn A. Millin, Commissioner of Property and Procurement. Millin sees the vehicle policy as an essential tool to curb expensive vehicle maintenance and fuel consumption. "At a time when the government is facing fiscal challenges, it is prudent that we enforce some mechanism to reduce the amount of money spent on maintenance and repairs of the government vehicle fleet as well as on one of the most expensive commodities, fuel." Millin said that with strict enforcement of the policy, there will be significant savings.

The policy, which takes effect on Monday, July 23, will be vigorously enforced primarily by the V.I. Police Department. Vehicles which have been authorized for 24/7 use will be identified with a red-colored registration sticker which will be affixed to the vehicle’s windshield by the Department of Property and Procurement. Those vehicles for which authorization has been granted for limited after-hours and weekend use by specific drivers will be identified with a green-colored registration sticker and the rest of the government’s fleet that will be used only during normal government working hours will bear a white-colored registration sticker. 

Police Commissioner James Mc Call said Monday that the V.I. Police Department is ready to enforce the mandates of the policy which took effect today by Executive Order. "Our officers will begin to crackdown on those drivers who abuse the privilege of driving government vehicles. Anyone on the road beyond the regular government workday must be authorized or they will be stopped." Mc Call said police officers will be on the lookout for offenders of the policy. Additionally, a telephone hotline has been established for citizens to report instances where they witness abuses of government vehicles. The number, 715-5507, will be monitored by the police department and reported violations will be forwarded to the agency head or commissioner for action against the offending driver. "We encourage residents to report violations to the hotline number," deJongh said. 

An executive order which accompanies the new vehicle policy spells out severe discipline against offenders of the policy. The first violation of the vehicle policy may land the offending driver a 15-day suspension from work, the second violation can yield a 30-day suspension and a third violation may lead to termination from government service. 

deJongh called on the leaders of the other two branches of government and the heads of the government’s semi-autonomous agencies to develop their own policies which would lead to a reduction in both fuel and vehicle maintenance costs as well as an overall reduction in the number of government vehicles on the roads after hours. 

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