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Enough is enough; End 'deadly' right-hand drive imports—Skelton-Cline

Commentator Claude O. Skelton-Cline has vehemently criticised the continued influx of right-hand drive and ageing vehicles into the territory. Photo: Internet Source/File
Social and political commentator Claude O. Skelton-Cline is once again demanding the government take decisive action against the importation of certain types of vehicles, citing their negative environmental impact and contribution to congestion in the Territory. Photo: Facebook
Social and political commentator Claude O. Skelton-Cline is once again demanding the government take decisive action against the importation of certain types of vehicles, citing their negative environmental impact and contribution to congestion in the Territory. Photo: Facebook
BAUGHERS BAY, Tortola, VI— Social and political commentator Claude O. Skelton-Cline is once again demanding the government take decisive action against the importation of certain types of vehicles, citing their negative environmental impact and contribution to congestion in the Territory since, "This is our home. If we’re not even going to follow our own rules and laws, then who will.”

Addressing his audience on the January 28, 2025, edition of Honestly Speaking on ZBVI 780 AM, Skelton-Cline vehemently criticised the continued influx of right-hand drive and ageing vehicles into the territory. “We have to put a stop to government to letting these right-hand vehicles coming here.”

Insistent in his demands, the candid commentator questioned rhetorically, "you’re going to tell me they're already here and you can't stop them? The devil is obliged to the mother-in-law! I bet you if I was in charge, that would stop coming in here."

Skelton-Cline's argument revolves around what he perceives as a lack of environmental regulation, pointing out that many of the imported vehicles fail to meet American emissions standards.

"The emissions tested from these vehicles cannot pass the American spec. So we are allowing these things in the Virgin Islands, further contaminating our airspace. We're dying from all kinds of cancers, we don't know where it's coming from," Skelton-Cline asserted.

Minister Rymer: Ban unlikely

Skelton-Cline's comments come amid ongoing discussions about vehicle import regulations in the Virgin Islands.

Minister for Transportation and Works, Kye M. Rymer (R5), had previously stated that while the government recognises the challenges posed by the increase in vehicles, an outright ban on right-hand drive or older vehicles is unlikely.

"That document came to Cabinet where we spoke about limiting [the importation of] vehicles over a certain year; There won’t be a ban, but we’ll have increased duty for vehicles over a certain age," Rymer had reaffirmed in a February 2023 report.

According to Hon Rymer, certain vehicles classified as antiques may attract a different duty rate, but there is no immediate plan to prohibit the importation of right-hand drive vehicles. He acknowledged that a reduction in import duties in 2023, aimed at easing the burden of rising fuel costs, had led to a significant increase in vehicle imports.

While no new roads are currently being built, Rymer maintained that the government has implemented initiatives such as Park and Ride to help ease traffic congestion.

"I think it’s working pretty well in terms of the flow of traffic within the Road Town area," the minister had stated.

54 Responses to “Enough is enough; End 'deadly' right-hand drive imports—Skelton-Cline”

  • Chris P Bacon (30/01/2025, 11:39) Like (89) Dislike (8) Reply
    This clown needs a permanent roll of toilet paper around his neck to wipe up all the sh!t that comes out of it. Shouldn't he be focusing on his impending legal woes?
    • @Chris Becon (30/01/2025, 12:38) Like (15) Dislike (59) Reply
      Leave Skelton Cline alone. Let him talk.He is a BVI Islander . Would not get deported.Persons from other platforms are talking ,voicing their concerns ..go trouble them...
    • jack (30/01/2025, 18:33) Like (11) Dislike (3) Reply
      This person will always have issues, the reason why he isn't stable,run to America get send back to tortola because of friends who try to give this socal paster a break in life trying to run things because he think he has the world of money,but little that he knows andrew coming back and he would need the money,anyway forget that,he has no knowledge about vehicles because he never work in that industry, he only yapping his mouth because people tell him to,he is a radio host for other people who doesn't want to be a tola clown.
    • l (01/02/2025, 13:47) Like (4) Dislike (0) Reply
      @ Chris P Bacon. I agree with you. Right-side driving cars are made for out left-hand driving. The car accidents here in the BVI are 75% left-hand driven cars. The problem is the government needs to paint the yellow lines so people can see where the middle is. Our roads are so bad that everyone is zig-zagging to avoid serious potholes that are damaging our cars. Right-hand cars are not the problem. Left-hand drivers drive like bats out of hell all of the time.
  • JDM BOYZ (30/01/2025, 11:54) Like (62) Dislike (14) Reply
    deadly right hand drive? lol you know how many left drive i see easing over into my line especially on turn on a slight curve on the highway. yall cant even keep your side!
    • GetBent (30/01/2025, 15:35) Like (21) Dislike (7) Reply

      Right hand drive cars do the same sh** all the time, I would say more. Every time I have a near miss it’s some right hand dive car that can’t see the side of the road so goes down the middle. Maybe if the Government put lines on the road to indicate the lanes people would stay in there lane.

      • Linda (04/02/2025, 11:12) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
        @ GetBent. I agree that the government needs to paint the yellow lines down the middle because even as a left-hand driver, I can't determine where the road is divided in some spots. I see drivers in my lane coming at me full speed to the point I have to honk them while slowing my speed so we don't hit. Plus, the roads are so bad I have to zig-zag on most of my trip. Right-hand bars are driving no worse than left-hand cars. We are all taking our lives into our own hands because of the no-painted yellow lines, which should be in place as a guideline for everyone. Plus the right-hand cars are in better condition than these torn-up beat-up left-handed cars.
  • Nah nah (30/01/2025, 12:01) Like (65) Dislike (12) Reply
    Yall want to stop 2nd hand affordable cars and force everyone to buy at the local dealerships with the banks high interest rates.

    some dealerships even killing you parts. the same parts you find on amazon that is 5x cheaper you wonder what makes theirs different...

    buying brand new cars to drive on poor roads only to end up with damage suspensions all before you finish pay of the car loan..like rlly?

    dont even mention rent, cost of living , groceries, school supplies etc

    and i notice rent of apartments steadily increasing to 2k and up................. the middle and lower class making 2k on a reg? even if you make 2k you still have other expense like bro.

    but yea go ahead and force everyone to buy brand new left hand drive cars with high interest and high prices only to get 1 free service and you on yuh for everything else. yall making so much money and still want to kill out people more
  • Unqualified opinion (30/01/2025, 12:03) Like (57) Dislike (3) Reply
    CSC - you are out of your depth. Where else in any major society does one find people driving a vehicle that is operated on the same side as the road traffic is oriented? What happens here is an anomaly. We have passengers alighting from public service and private vehicles in the middle of the street with oncoming hoggish drivers. What has happened is that we are so seasoned into this practice that we no longer have the emotional and intellectual intelligence to understand the crisis.
    • Plus (30/01/2025, 19:06) Like (7) Dislike (1) Reply
      In addition, the headlights on a left-hand drive vehicle are designed to dip the left side beam lower than the right side on dim. The result is that the beam of the right-hand light tends to be directed to the eyes of the incoming traffic causing blind spots. Hardly any of the left-hand drive vehicles have the proper adjustment made to compensate for this.
  • Virgin Islander (30/01/2025, 12:08) Like (61) Dislike (2) Reply
    Man stop talking foolishness. We driving righthand drive vehicles on the left lane here in the uk . No trouble, no problems. The government just need to fix the Damm roads properly and paint the center line on all roads . People have to learn ro hold them side.
  • Emission Test? (30/01/2025, 12:13) Like (36) Dislike (1) Reply
    Easy - Why not have an emissions test - like they do in the US & in Europe = as part of the vehicle test each year in order to get a license?! That would get rid of a lot of the old bangers on the road.
    However, it's the trucks that are the worst offenders & emit a huge amount of pollution - so start with those!
  • smh (30/01/2025, 12:16) Like (33) Dislike (0) Reply
    Where is cancer coming from? You might want to start with the years of open burning and incinerator not working properly.
  • ok (30/01/2025, 12:53) Like (14) Dislike (59) Reply
    I 100% agree with Mr. Cline. These right-hand drivers are a road safety threat. It is interesting the comments on this topic. Most of the right-hand drivers are expats who can't afford to purchase more current and local vehicles. Again, who are we catering to in this territory. These people are running you off the road driving in the middle of the road and full speed. We are so careless in this place.
    • GetBent (30/01/2025, 15:38) Like (4) Dislike (0) Reply
      The Super Rich!
    • Ah beg (30/01/2025, 22:09) Like (11) Dislike (0) Reply
      For the love of God, shut up! Left hand drivers do the same thing... it's not one against the other. The real issue is the condition of the roads. Everybody in efforts to safeguard their vehicles drives where it is most safe. Sadly, that is in the middle of the road. Hazardous, yes, and there's no justification for this, but for the love of God, stop being a hypocrite.
    • @ok (31/01/2025, 14:38) Like (6) Dislike (0) Reply
      You are just another dealer trying to make a dollar.
  • For Real (30/01/2025, 13:14) Like (29) Dislike (3) Reply
    This guy is such an idiot, right hand drive vehicles been here almost 50 years, what is the problem?
  • smdh (30/01/2025, 13:16) Like (52) Dislike (0) Reply
    My dude, in countries where you drive on the left side of the road, right-hand drive (RHD) cars are designed for optimal safety. The driver sits closer to the center of the road, improving visibility when overtaking and navigating intersections. This positioning also allows for better judgment of road positioning, reducing the risk of collisions. Additionally, road signs and markings are designed for RHD vehicles, ensuring drivers receive clear guidance. Using a left-hand drive car in these regions can increase blind spots and make maneuvers more hazardous.
    Now, if you're talking about the emissions of these cars then the simplest option is to undertake emissions tests.
    And while we're on the subject of things that create emissions, CSC - I suggest you take a look in the mirror.
  • Informed (30/01/2025, 13:29) Like (34) Dislike (0) Reply
    The Right hand side vehicles are correct and more safe. The BVI drives on the left as the brits were the first ones to bring vehicles to the islands and the LH driving continued.
    The Vehicle imported from the USA are LH drive and they are designed for.
    Unfortunately the people who have not ventured into the wider world think this is the norm. To make the BVI a safe place we need proper road designers and not the Tar Mac covered donkey tracks. There are a lot of accidents and deaths due to poor design and poor maintenance. We wont mention the pot holes. The tar mac at the airport is a vineer and wont last beyond the next rain. I needs to be stuck with tar to the concrete. Again propper road designing is needed.
  • Love my left hand drive (30/01/2025, 13:29) Like (9) Dislike (14) Reply
    I prefer left hand drive cars. I feel more comfortable driving left hand drive cars.
    • @Love my left hand drive (30/01/2025, 15:11) Like (7) Dislike (6) Reply
      I do as well. I will never invest or drive a right hand wheel vehicle.
  • Well.. (30/01/2025, 14:07) Like (12) Dislike (16) Reply
    I'm not a Cline fan but I think the underlying issue went over everyone's head. I'm not going to agree with left-hand drive or right-hand drive but I do believe that something needs to be done about the influx of 20+ year old vehicles that are being imported into the BVI. These vehicles will work for 2-3 years and then become derelict, contributing to the nastiness on the side of our roads, in people's yards etc. It just so happens that most of these aged vehicles are Japanese, right-hand drive vehicles. We need to put a limit on how old a vehicle can be when being imported otherwise we will soon look like the worst parts of Haiti.
  • BuzzBvi (30/01/2025, 14:10) Like (27) Dislike (1) Reply
    Oh dear Claude. Every village has to have one and guess you are ours. They still giving you consultancies with this foolish talk?
  • please (30/01/2025, 14:15) Like (5) Dislike (34) Reply
    You can spot righthand drivers a mile off..... coming at you full speed. Put a ban on them!!!
    • @Please (05/02/2025, 14:30) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      Left hand folks do NOT keep their side either and are driving even FASTER. Straightaway or Round a corner.
      Some Lefthanders do not have road etiquette and some right handers do not have road etiquette.
      I drive BOTH.
  • Bonna (30/01/2025, 14:16) Like (20) Dislike (1) Reply
    The headlights on left-hand drive vehicles is hazardous as they are angled toward on coming transport. In Europe UK motors are required to place stickers to prevent blinding dangerous conditions.
  • tola (30/01/2025, 14:35) Like (22) Dislike (0) Reply
    I wish i had that kind of money from the Cane Garden Bay youth program so i can buy a lefthanded BMW ..
  • YBM (30/01/2025, 14:42) Like (17) Dislike (0) Reply
    You could tell CSC don't travel to other caribbean islands. They all have right hand vehicles driving on the LEFT side of the road just like in the states they drive left hand vehicles on the RIGHT side of the road. You catch the drift? You sound mad stupid CSC I dont blame you though, you just dont like island people and could've kept this absurd comment to yourself. God watching you bro
  • But ummm (30/01/2025, 14:42) Like (11) Dislike (0) Reply
    That’s why u not in charge
  • I agree (30/01/2025, 14:54) Like (5) Dislike (35) Reply
    Mr. Skelton-Cline as a True Virgin Islander, as yourself, I agree 1000%. This right-hand drive nonsense needs to stop.
    My nerves are worked everyday with it. It is not part of our culture and other people from elsewhere are trying to force it down our throats, so to speak. Ministry of Communication and Transportation or whoever, it needs to stop NOW!!!!!
    • HMMM (30/01/2025, 15:32) Like (12) Dislike (0) Reply
      when you don't common sense, you will agree with anything. Driving a left on the left hand side makes sense?
    • I disagree (31/01/2025, 14:39) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      Ok ToG, we hear you….NOT!
  • lawdy (30/01/2025, 14:55) Like (22) Dislike (0) Reply
    You can't fix stupid, but you can stop publishing it.
  • Streups (30/01/2025, 15:01) Like (14) Dislike (0) Reply
    Why doesn't he talk about the abuse of high beams or light sources that interfere with driver's line of site at evening times? How about people overtaking at corners, tailgating and speeding unnecessarily? Those are real problems. Only way I could see you bringing nonsense like this up is if you have a personal dislike of these model vehicles, or you have a dealership sponsoring your show OR seeking to gain one. Stop being a menace to the air waves! Ughh!
  • smh (30/01/2025, 15:13) Like (16) Dislike (1) Reply
    The problem with this country is that ppl have alot of opinions, however no data to back it up. right hand drive cars on a left hand road is much safer than a left hand drive car. Better visibility in the day time of the oncoming traffic and road signs etc. additionally at night the lights don't shine into your eyes and blind you, which is another hazard. That is why English cars going to Europe must have a sticker on their headlights to stop the lights blinding the other drivers. and there is data to back this up.
  • hmm (30/01/2025, 15:36) Like (7) Dislike (0) Reply

    Just shut the hell up damn cr****!!

  • Get a license (30/01/2025, 16:00) Like (7) Dislike (0) Reply
    First thing first is the license test given at DMV written for left or right hand drive vehicles now if it for the right hand then cars driven are guided by your license
    Can this man drive at all where in the books states that a right or left hand driven car makes you a bad driver in my opinion the driver who drives with out any due care and attention is who causes the accidents not the car so this (FOOL) and the others that think a right hand driven car is a problem go and read your driving test book and see if it for a left hand or right hand vehicle
    I am sure some these Expats down island people come up to this BVI and learn to drive your left hand drive vehicles and do a more better job than wunna so call American mockers driving LH vehicles
    Get 10 BVI landers give them RH drive vehicles and 10 island ppl left hand vehicles to parallel park and see who can drive better (STUPID) mentality thinking Black people
  • TOLAN. (30/01/2025, 16:15) Like (8) Dislike (0) Reply

    Panna Hush Yuh @$$, Sound Like A Clown. I Does Drive Both Comfortably, And I Grow Up With Left Hand But I Rather Right Hand. Is A Preference. U Sound Dotish Nf

  • facts (30/01/2025, 16:17) Like (23) Dislike (0) Reply
    "Like" if you think it's the drivers that are dangerous
    "Dislike" if you think its right-hand drive vehicles that are dangerous
  • Real Talk (30/01/2025, 17:42) Like (14) Dislike (1) Reply
    MR CLYNE WHEN I WAs growing up here in the vi most of the vehicles were right hand drive boss you are beating a dead horse church out
  • Tola Again (30/01/2025, 17:43) Like (10) Dislike (0) Reply
    It's always someone who has a lil money, business or decent house trying to stop the average ppl from living decent on what they can afford. Tortola is not American so why ya'll importing American left hand rides. We are British that drives on the left where we actually supposed to be driving right hand drive vehicles
  • Cindy (30/01/2025, 18:59) Like (2) Dislike (6) Reply
    he talking good
  • He’s correct (30/01/2025, 19:05) Like (5) Dislike (3) Reply
    Time to ban those damn right hand drive vehicles they also need to ban left hand road driving as well
  • Cindy vs Claude (31/01/2025, 08:47) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Who is worst? Claude or Cindy. Anyways the vehicles(whether left hand or right hand) or scooters aren't the problem. The main problem are the idiot operating the said vehicle. STOP BUYING AYO LICENSE AND GO THROUGH THE PROPER CHANNELS TO EARN IT.
  • ma yute (31/01/2025, 09:53) Like (7) Dislike (0) Reply
    VINO you must stop featuring this man in your articles bare BS he talking and is upsetting the population
  • Paper Belongers (31/01/2025, 10:43) Like (0) Dislike (1) Reply
    These paper belongers need to shut up before your status is revoked and you are deported back up Jamaica and St. Kitts
  • ninja man (31/01/2025, 10:45) Like (8) Dislike (0) Reply
    Funny, The BVI should actually be using right-hand vehicle because we drive on the left; to see on coming traffic when over-taking.
  • Things to consider (31/01/2025, 16:45) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    What is the depth of the existing infrastructure, e.g., pipelines? How do these factors impact the drain's height? Was the design and construction mindful of the crawl space requirements to facilitate maintenance?
  • Maxwell. (31/01/2025, 20:31) Like (0) Dislike (1) Reply
    As a Virgin Islander I fully agree with The radio host. We are not accustomed to all these old right hand drive vehicles on the road. It’s out of control. Government needs to address it. They bring these old rejects from Japan.
  • 8 mile Detroit diesel (01/02/2025, 13:20) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    This dude just grabbing on to straws, talking all manner of crap. Container houses is a problem to him. Right hand drive cars is an issue for him but stealing hundreds of thousands from the government purse for shady consultancies is no problem for him
  • reverse traffic lanes (04/02/2025, 21:48) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Claude got it all wrong. The problem is not the cars. The problem is the traffic lane directions.
    People in this country has chosen to buy and drive right hand drive cars (for cost, and availability reasons).
    It is Government needs to adapt to the people needs, not the people to obsolete laws.
    If the consensus of this island is using right hand drive cars, just reverse the driving lanes.


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