For most of my errands I could get by just fine with a golf cart. Golf carts work just fine in other small islands & communitiys sich as Bermuda BTW.

Back to Government cars. There are a number of jobs in the private sector that require cars. At Purvis Ltd. I had succh a job. The company paid a car allowance which covered gas & some.

When company business & private use of the car conflicted we just had to deal with it one way or another.

I would like to take this opportunity to say that both opposition parties need to “step up to the wicket.” I believe that being an effective opposition does not solely involve criticizing the government, but also providing pratical alternatives. Remember your goal should not to be to get reelected, but to create a better Bermuda!

That statement may be true, but I don’t understand why we now have so many more positions that require a car than we used to. Also, what function(s) might there be that would require the cars to be out at night? One was parked outside Berkeley on fight night. I saw the Minister and his wife walking in the other direction, and I assume he would have been the only one there in an official capacity.

The number of Government vehicles parked at the quarry correctly justifies your statement pertaining to all Government workers whose jobs do require them to “travel the island” to service the public – and how do you think these Government workers perform their tasks on a daily basis? Many of them in their own private, personal, 1 car per household family vehicles!

A stipend is calculated to compensate these Government workers for their gas, but I can tell you for sure, the Bermuda Government is not “paying for the upkeep” of these Government worker’s private cars, (at least not ours) as you have stated should be expected (or you only agree for GP privilege) – and they are not interested in meeting with you to discuss your concerns regarding this matter – we’ve tried up to the PS and Minister in the past, and you get no response to your request.

Maybe BERNEWS should do a story on this matter, as I don’t see my mail, garbage, vector control, inspectors, fire, police, district nurse and the like performing their public duties in their private vehicles, so why is it allowed with the public works vehicles parked at the quarry, while the GP cars are paraded at the grocery stores, Church, family transport, dinner, shopping and the like…. They all need to use their own private cars, bikes, walk, catch the bus, ferry, taxi or car pool just like the rest of the public are expected to “do more with less”.

Inquiring minds want to know – I say if it is true that former Premier Jack Sharpe rode around on a mobylette, then all GP vehicles should be sold off to these car garages who need extra loaner vehicles so everytime my private, 1 car per household family car has to go in the garage to receive repairs/service due to excessive and unanticipated wear and tear (we did not purchase our car to be used as a Government public fleet work horse), then I can drive something better than those jello wigglers offered at these garages.

If our families have to be inconvenienced to better serve the public, then I say every Government member should “share the love” the same.

If you want to compare foreign political means of travel to ours the prime minister of Canada Stephen Harper has openly spoken about his majority of travels being on public transport which cost Canada at max $360 a year. Might I add that Canada has done better than any other country through the recession because of their intelligent economic strategies.

Government buys an expensive car for $30k from a local dealership, but that dealer had to pay approx $12-$15k in duty to the government when they shipped it in. Therefore the government only paid ($30k-$12k) $18k for the car. I’ve simplified the amounts but that is basically how it works…

The GP cars need to be managed rigorously and stringently and they should NOT be abused. My point is that government, ie the civil service, obvisously need these cars to perform their day to day functions. Let’s be real they can’t just all disappear.

The issue for me is not the use of gas cars, but the number of them that are owned by Govt. It would be far more cost effective to lease the vehicles than buy them.

Govt buys the car at the HWP price which includes the duty, remember HWP had to pay govt duty to bring the car in in the first place. So from a net basis government is only paying the US/UK retail price (ie what HWP paid for the car) plus whatever mark up HWP includes.

IB bosses like to give their top employees complementary vehicles for work & private use but they do this out of their companies hard earned money. It has become harder & harder in Bermuda for IB to give employees these perks so they settle for scooters to get to work rain, blow or shine. What message do we send to IB when our government workers travel in comfort at the islands cost of living while IB professionals can’t afford to. We do want to show that we treat IB as fair as we treat our own don’t we?

Are you suggesting that govt employees be given the option to have more than one car in their household? How would that me monitored? Wouldnt that just lead to even more cars being on the road? what if that person changes jobs would he then have to sell that car?

The person is not supplied with the GP car, their postion requires them to have one. And they are not necessiarily for people making over $100,000 per year. Not all govt jobs are sitting behind a desk. If your job/boss required you to travel the the island wouldn’t you expect your empployer to provide you with a car? would you expect your job to pay for the gas and upkeep?

Use smaller cars and consider setting an example by using electric cars. I think several are already available on island. It will be interesting to see how the dealers respond since 1 or 2 seem to benefit the most from the current policies when government purchases cars.

Let’s start with the civil service Permanent Secretaries. Why do they have to drive GP cars?

Perhaps to drive to LFW to board flights to Cayman??

The kicker is the gas cost. I mean really!!!! We are expected to believe that the average per car was only $387 per year or less than $7.50 per WEEK!!!!!

For the mathematically challenged that is not even one GALLON of gas. Cars based & working around the central area will burn more than that just going to get gas at the W&E Depot, never mind paid time for the driver of the car to take it there.

Were are the REAL figures? How much was charged at various gas stations around the island? How much was charged to the taxpayer for private use filling personal containers or using the car for private use?

Come clean PLP.