Renters still faced with car rental quotas on US Virgin Islands

Travelers to the US Virgin Islands are still faced with car rental quotas. This remains an unusual practice not seen in most parts of the world. Quotas mean that rental companies are limited in the number of cars they can have in their fleet. For example, on the

island of

St John, the overall quota is 625 and the government does not intend to increase this in the near future, despite rising demand. As a result, each car rental has its own quota. Many are permitted to have a fleet of only 20 to 30 vehicles. If one company reaches the maximum permissible number of cars, it is possible for officials of the Bureau of Motor Vehicles to transfer unused quota from a company with a smaller fleet to a larger firm. Jerris Brown directs the Bureau and he noted that it is key to keep the quota in place, as it helps control traffic problems on the island and also helps keep roads safe. It will only be possible to raise the overall quota if

St. John constructs more roads in the near future.

A number of car hire companies, like St. John Car Rental, however, feel that it is unfair that companies on the

island of

St. John cannot increase their fleets because of the quota, giving rental firms on other islands an advantage—customers can rent a car in another jurisdiction, hop on a ferry, and use then to drive on St. John’s roads. Sometimes up to 60 or 70 rental cars enter the island from other jurisdictions and St. John Car Rental’s owner, Albert Willis, points out that when this occurs the quota de facto ceases to exist.

St. John Car Rental is one of the largest hire companies on

St. John island, with a fleet of 55 passenger vehicles.