To the Editor:
Regarding the Edgartown selectman’s decision to postpone a van tour (l4 passenger) at least one season in order to survey their business community:
Martha’s Vineyard Transport has been doing van tours as a charter company, and has brought thousands of people to Edgartown who spent money that day and returned in the future. The selectmen have blocked my plans to sell tickets in Oak Bluffs and increase the amount of people being brought to Edgartown. The selectmen say they want to take this summer to survey the business community for their opinions. The “business person” by definition wants more business, and to postpone a decision on my application for this reason is not logical.
The selectmen also want to survey the downtown homeowners to see if they would be against a ticket van tour driving by their summer homes. The van tours have been driving through the streets of Edgartown for many years without any complaints, and nothing will change except instead of averaging four people in a van there will be ten. The historical town of Edgartown belongs to all and not just the homeowners. I believe that if their peaceful lifestyle and their safety is not changed by these van tours, the homeowners would be glad to share this beautiful historical town.
Martha’s Vineyard Transport is ready right now to create good paying jobs, bring money to businesses of Edgartown, and make the Martha’s Vineyard experience better for many visitors, hoping they will return. The only thing preventing this from happening now is the selectmen of Edgartown. An immediate approval or at least a public hearing held in the near future would be the only fair way of dealing with this application.
Ron Minkin
Martha’s Vineyard Transport
