Local taxi driver, Mr. Keithley Liburd, is the recipient of an Aquila’s Tour Guide Excellence Training Award.

Mr. Liburd received the award at this year’s Seatrade Conference in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The Aquila Programme was completed in the Territory and was organised by Ms. Victorene Creque at the British Virgin Islands Tourist Board. The training is a part of a collaborative effort between the Tourist Board and the Taxi and Livery Commission.

Minister for Communications and Works, Honourable Mark Vanterpool and representatives from Tortola Pier Park Limited, Taxi and Livery Commission, and the British Virgin Islands Tourist Board also attended the conference.

Honourable Mark Vanterpool, stated “Cruise passengers have indicated, through surveys and various means, that based on the experiences they have had when they came to the BVI, they want to come back to the British Virgin Islands perhaps more than most other places in the Caribbean… because the taxi drivers in the BVI have been good ambassadors for us in the Territory”.

Honourable Vanterpool added that the Government of the Virgin Islands thanks Mr. Liburd for his commitment to excellent customer service and that the award is a reflection of the positive reinforcement for the need for better customer service in the Territory.

Aquila’s Center for Cruise Excellence offers training programs to help cruise destinations and tour operators around the world achieve excellence in their ports, tours, guides and businesses.   About thirty local taxi drivers participated and completed this programme.

In addition to the Aquila training, the Taxi and Livery Commission has partnered with the Department of Disaster Management to incorporate a disaster preparedness and safety programme for taxi drivers in the Virgin Islands.

This initiative will include educating and training taxi drivers on fire suppression, emergency management and emergency preparedness. This programme will be combined with the existing Taxi Academy programmes including training in customer service, defensive driving and Virgin Islands history.