Nerissa Golden photo of the remnants of Southern villages with Soufriere Hills Volcano in the background.

Start Date for New Procedures to Access Zone V Moved to June 14

The new procedure to ensure a clear and transparent process for access to Zone V for tourism purposes will come into full effect Monday, 14 June 2023, said the Disaster Management Coordination Agency (DMCA) on Wednesday.

In a press release, the agency stated that “the June 1st start date was pushed back to ensure a smooth and successful transition process which includes the employment of access wardens, a standardized tour fee, an online tour request form for all excursions to Zone V (Plymouth) and a shift system for tours.

“Five Access Wardens have been selected through the Government of Montserrat Insync HR Candidate Shortlisting process that best meets the requirements and criteria for the job. A total of eight individuals submitted applications.

“A one-week training will be held with the selected individuals starting Monday, 5 June 2023, before taking up their duties.

“The Tour Request Form for access to Zone V is now available on the DMCA website: http://dmca.gov.ms/. The form is at the top of the webpage on the right-hand side so it’s visible immediately.

“A fee of $160 dollars will be charged for each tour to Plymouth and paid at the DMCA office on Yellow Hill Road.

“Certified Tour Operators are required to complete a Tour Application Request Form twenty-four hours before their scheduled trip to Plymouth.

“The DMCA will only process applications submitted by trained and certified Tour and Taxi operators on Montserrat for tours to Zone V.” the release ended.