Penalties leading up to termination have been set for the excessive use of government vehicles and consumption of gas.
An executive order issued Friday by Gov. Charles W. Turnbull sets specific policies, conditions and procedures for using government vehicles, including who is eligible to drive and when vehicles can be driven.
Turnbull has previously ordered a reduction in the use of government vehicles. Residents and others, however, have reported seeing non-emergency government vehicles on the roads at all hours of the day and night.
The new policy now separates government vehicles into four categories:
— 24-hour use, seven days a week.
— Daily use including to and from home, 6 a.m. – 7 p.m., Monday-Friday.
— Daily use during working hours, 8 a.m.-6 p.m., Monday-Friday.
— Daily use during working hours, 8 a.m.-6 p.m., Sunday-Saturday.
Also implemented, are a decal system that will identify what category vehicles fall into and an administrative ticketing program to enforce the new policies.
The Department of Property and Procurement has been given one month to devise the decal system. It will enable V.I. police officers to stop any vehicle that does not have a decal or is on the road at a time prohibited by its category.
V.I. police officers are also authorized to issue the administrative tickets, copies of which will be delivered to the Governor's Office and to the head of the department or agency the vehicle in violation belongs to.
After a first infraction, an employee will be issued a written reprimand and have all vehicle privileges suspended. After a second infraction, employees will be suspended and lose all vehicle privileges. A third infraction will result in termination.
The measure also includes a system for using gasoline charge cards and vouchers, with rationing based on the volume of gasoline used before and after the start of the program.
The program should be fully implemented in six months, according to Friday's statement.