The Government of the Virgin Islands, Department of Public Works provides public transportation and paratransit services for the residents of St. Thomas, St. John, and St. Croix. Part of the mission of the Department is to ensure that this service is delivered safely, efficiently, and effectively by establishing a drug and alcohol-free workplace environment, and to ensure that the workplace remains free from the effects of drugs and alcohol in order to promote the health and safety of employees and the general public.  In keeping with this mission, VITRAN declares that the unlawful manufacture, distribution, disposing, possession, or use of controlled substances or misuse of alcohol is prohibited for all employees.

The unlawful manufacture, dispensing, possession, or use of a controlled substance is prohibited in the workplace.

As a condition of employment employees must abide by all the terms of the Drug-Free Workplace policy.

If convicted of a drug statute violation occurring in the workplace, employees must report such violation to the Department of Public Works in writing no later than five (5) days after such conviction.

The purpose of this policy is to establish guidelines to maintain a drug and alcohol-free workplace in compliance with the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988 and the Omnibus Transportation Employee Testing Act of 1991.  This policy is intended to comply with all applicable Federal regulations governing workplace anti-drug and alcohol programs in the transit industry.  Specifically, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) of the U.S. Department of Transportation has published 49 CFR Part 655, that mandates urine drug testing and breath alcohol testing for safety-sensitive positions and prohibits performance of safety-sensitive functions when there is a positive test result or when an employee has refused to submit to a required test.  The U. S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) has also published 49 CFR Part 40, that describes the employer’s role and responsibility related to this regulation, the drug and alcohol testing process, and defines DOT’s return-to-duty process when an employee has tested positive or refused to submit to a required test. 

See Drug Free Workplace Policy Statement here.

Note: Should there be conflicts between Federal regulations and this policy, attributed in part to revision to the law or changes in interpretations, and when those changes have not been updated or accurately reflected in this policy, the Federal law shall prevail.

Any provisions set forth in this policy that are included under VITRAN’s authority and are not provided under the authority of the above named Federal regulations are underlined.