Stop the derelict vehicle fee immediately — Lettsome

Territorial At-Large candidate Levor Lettsome has called for the immediate removal of the derelict vehicle disposal fee charged to motorists when they license their vehicles. Lettsome, chairman of the Virgin Islands Innovative Association, argued that motorists should not have to pay the fee when their vehicles remain operational and legally on the road. “My vehicle is not a derelict car,” Lettsome stated during an appearance on the Talking Points radio programme recently. The Department of Motor Vehicles began collecting the fee in September 2025. The charge ranges from $60 to $125, depending on the vehicle’s weight. Vehicles weighing between 1,500 and 3,000 pounds attract a $60 fee, while vehicles weighing between 3,001 and 6,000 pounds are charged $85.

Owners of vehicles weighing more than 6,000 pounds must pay $125. Lettsome said authorities should instead use vehicle identification numbers, licence plates, and registration information to locate and charge owners of abandoned vehicles. “If they were progressive people, they would have made sure that the DMV system had the adequate technology to ensure that the VIN matches with the licence plate, matches with the ID of whoever, and when they scan, they can find who this vehicle belongs to,” Lettsome stated. He rejected the practice of applying the fee to all motorists and called for it to end immediately. “That is something that I believe needs to cease and desist. They need to stop that with immediate effect,” Lettsome argued. Lettsome said the mandatory charge placed residents at a disadvantage and questioned the basis for collecting it from…