The cooking gas outlet should be installed on the island in either June or July. Reuben Stoby/VINO

Regional General Manager of Delta Petroleum, Bevis Sylvester told VINO that he was encouraged to take on the initiative after residents there approached him while he was on the island on Tuesday April, 26, 2011, about their difficulties with accessing cooking gas.

“I gave an undertaking that we are going to put an installation on this island to make it possible for all citizens to fill their bottles in a particular area on this island. Even if we have to subsidize it we would.”

Mr. Sylvester added that Delta Petroleum was particularly concerned for the safety of both locals and tourists as JVD residents would have to take their cylinders on the ferries to Tortola to have them refilled.

Mr. Sylvester said the decision to install a cooking gas outlet on JVD was taken from a safety standpoint. Photo: Reuben Stoby/VINO.

“Gas bottles are very dangerous things to deal with and if you send them to Jost Van Dyke on a ferry to Tortola it is very unsafe, and if we have to subsidize we would. Just from a safety standpoint we would because we are concerned because if they have an accident on the boat it would not be good for the persons on the boat and tourists may be on the boat also. Our safety is very important.”

The Regional Manager said the announcement was more than an idea and the outlet should be in place by either June or July this year.

Meanwhile, 2^nd District Candidate Claude Skelton-Cline, during his address to residents at Great Harbour on Tuesday had said residents did not have to wait until he was elected to get help and announced the initiative with Delta Petroleum to deliver cooking gas to residents of the island.

Mr. Cline had also said NDP At-Large Candidate, Myron Walwyn, had also promised to help make the initiative a reality.