Tourism Authority ‘Strongly Supports Concept’
The Bermuda Tourism Authority [BTA] said they “strongly support the concept of small electric rental vehicles for visitors” as “Bermuda is one of the only destinations in the world not offering some sort of car rental programme” and “this new capacity will improve Bermuda’s marketability and positively impact the tourism economy.”
The BTA’s comments follow after the Motor Car Amendment [No. 2] Act 2016 was tabled in the House of Assembly, with the Bill seeking to amend the Motor Car Act 1951 to include provisions for a motor car rental scheme.
The Bill’s Explanatory Memorandum says, “This Bill seeks to amend to amend the Motor Car Act 1951 [the “principal Act”] to include provisions for a motor car livery scheme including the types of motor cars that are available as a rental, the specifications of and licence duty for those motor cars, the licence fee applicable for the operation of a motor car livery, and for connected purposes.”
The Renault Twizy, which the BTA said is one of the vehicles under consideration:
The BTA said, “In the House of Assembly tomorrow Parliamentarians are scheduled to discuss the introduction of small electric rental vehicles as a new product in the visitor experience.
“While the structure and regulations around this new product will be worthy of very careful scrutiny, the Bermuda Tourism Authority [BTA] strongly supports the concept of small electric rental vehicles for visitors.
“Visitor research commissioned last year by the Ministry of Tourism and Transport showed 53 percent of visitors were interested in renting an electric mini car in Bermuda. That’s significantly more than the 31 percent who said they would be interested in renting a scooter.
“Bermuda is one of the only destinations in the world not offering some sort of car rental programme. Having this new capacity will improve Bermuda’s marketability and positively impact the tourism economy.
“More specifically, the BTA believes this new offering will make us more competitive as a destination, it will significantly enhance safety for visitors not entirely comfortable on a scooter, it will increase visitor spending and it will build entrepreneurial opportunities for our community.
“All of these benefits can be achieved without negatively impacting the taxi and minibus industries because the size of rental vehicle proposed means a user would be required to travel without luggage and with only up to two vehicle occupants, similar to a typical scooter.
“We appreciate that the public may have concerns over congestion, but with 3,500 fewer licensed vehicles on the road over the past seven to eight years perhaps we have more capacity than we think.
“Leisure air arrivals year-over-year continue to track on a positive trend line, up 9 percent through May 31, 2016. If we are to continue building on this momentum of growth we must remain open to new products and experiences across our tourism industry. It’s what our visitors are telling us we need to do.
Are we still paying this guy $1000,00 a day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You work in tourism. You’re one of the people who directly benefits from moves like this.
He’s worth every penny. Air arrivals up 15%!
air arrivals up 15% but the people that live her still suffer. that 15% dont mean nothing to the lower class. Only people making money is you rich boys.
Its been down in de last 4 years and he got an $80,000 bonus.
Maybe we can end all the negativity right now and say that this will also be the answer to a second car per household and let the 16 year olds drive them. Although I am not sure it meets the requirements for driving on the yellow line….
As drafted, locals won’t be able to buy this class of cars. They are only being approved for rental purposes.
Oh man! Hold on there Fat Checker we gotta redraft…that a cool looking car
What role has the BTA played in the drafting of this legislation and can they share when they began the discussions around this new product and who was involved?
I think it is a good idea however the way this has jumped up on us is unfortunate and tonight’s Taxi Industry meeting will be telling.
Potential delays and hard feelings not because it is a bad idea it has simply been badly presented.
Keep saying only place in world where can’t rent a car, what happened to Bermuda Is Another World, guess it does not mean anything to the B. T. A.
Once again, badly presented, with the Minister having to justify what may be a good idea after the fact. Will they ever learn?
The political instincts of lemmings.
What do they call it when you do the same thing over and over expecting a different result?
Maybe we should have a referendum on this too? lol
Um… If they can barely ride bikes, why are we giving them cars? If you do this, this just increases major problems, such a pollution, that we as a small island don’t need. If you need more problems, i’ll be happy to give them to you, anytime.
And then I’m never going listen to the BTA about anything related to Bermuda’s hospitality industry. Because they don’t see the major flaw in Bermuda’s hospitality industry, something that I’ve been seeing since I was in Middle School, not too long ago folks, then we have a big problem with leaving a source of Bermuda’s income in the hands of these people. And what I’m seeing isn’t something that’s going to cost money to fix, but is costing money allowing it to continuously happen.
And Ladies and Gentlemen, let me share a short story. April is hospitality month, the BTA goes around the schools to share activities that are going on during the month. My question is, why don’t they do it in March, the end of March opposed to sharing in April were we’ve missed most the activities already. This year while I was sitting in assembly while they presented during the third week in April, this lady was shouting at us telling us to do this and this and this, while we didn’t know these things were going on because you don’t have proper advertisement, and they come at the near end of the month. So how were we supposed to know? So I’m sitting there thinking, this woman has the nerve to scold us, but she doesn’t see that we don’t have daily interactions with the island’s visitors unless we’re on PTB and they decide to talk to us, so how are we supposed to relate the information.
This is just only two reasons why the BTA is failing Bermuda as a whole, and we’re paying their salaries with our money for them to do jack.
Right now anyone 18 years of age or older can walk into Oleander cycles and rent a scooter after going up and down the street with no prior riding experience and then hope onto Bermuda roads. Why is it so crazy to think that we would let individuals licenced to drive cars in America, Canada, Europe, etc drive around a tiny ass car not much bigger than a golf cart? The most dangerous thing about tourists on scooters is that they are not comfortable riding. It is not that they are naturally more risky drivers.
This is the most ridiculous comment I’ve ever seen. “Um… If they can barely ride bikes, why are we giving them cars?”
Actually, it’s the fact that they can barely ride bikes that makes this a good policy. Most people are accustomed to driving a 4 wheeled vehicle. The problem is when they come to Bermuda to rent auxiliary cycles.
I think the proposed rental cars are too small. How about we do a year pilot project with 100 4 seater A class cars, something a family (its not good to be putting kids on rental scooters) can fit in and something that can be sold to the general public if it’s a failure. Let’s see what happens. We will also need more parking options in Hamilton. I drove around 2 parking lots today looking for space.
The Twizy is 17hp, 2hp above the regulations just passed, so how are they considering it? TCD has refused to license the CBR150 for the exact same reason, I think the bike owners are being discriminated against and wrongfully denied the right to operate the bike they bought from an approved dealer. The same “experts” are making these decisions too? Fahy referred to us being able to rent in the US and how would we like it if they refused to allow us, they accept our too easily attained license worldwide but our visitors will need to get a Bermuda Drivers License to operate a 15hp or less (or maybe more) “quadricycle”.Gonna go over like a lead balloon.
Please do your research. Wikipedia says there are two versions of the Twizy the lower one looks like it would be within the proposed. Also believe they grandfathered in those CBR150′s on the basis that if they are a few years old they wouldn’t be putting out that same HP anymore either.
You “believe” they grandfathered, and you tell me to do more research? Why has no statement been made? Hundreds of CBRs’ on the road. 2hp is nothing, neither is 15hp for that matter, limiting competent adults who are willing to prove their ability through advanced training to tired learner bikes (<150cc), is demeaning and unfair when you consider the over-powered, over-sized four wheel vehicles licensed to operate on the roads with the bare minimum of training. How did TCD apologize or reimburse for this oversight on their part? Dude should sue them, complain to the Ombudsman. Heads should roll (figuratively).
Who will get the contracts to sell these vehicles if the law passes?
Dunno. How did it work when the law was passed allowing those two luxury limos?
Remind us how the PLP do it.
I just see one winner here…BELCO…I don’t care who opens a car rental here in bermy…After you make all of your investments…long time before u see ur first dollar…and I don’t think bermuda has that long…NO MATTER WHO IS RULING.
Both parties should pick the best in their fields and make one ruling party… individuals subject to change upon a performance review…so it ain’t no free ride on the taxpayers…If you don’t cut it…then you gonna get cut…bye bye.
This is what has been needed for years. Too many visitors have been killed or maimed because they were told that rental cycles were a safe means of transport – until it rains, the local drivers rush them or they panic.
As for those who say there is a potential problem because the majority of our visitors are used to driving on the right hand side of the road, I would ask you what happens when you travel and rent a car in the US – same thing but Bermuda drivers have no true experience of highway driving – what next!
I didn’t read past your first sentence Larry. Too long. But I agree. The roads are crazy! I can’t count the amount of times I’ve seen tourists on the wrong lane! Put a bus or truck in front off them on any one of our corners! It’s over
This might change my sister’s and her affluent family mind of visiting Bermuda again. After her last visit she stated that they would never visit Bermuda again unless they could rent a car. She, like many other folks, was not impressed by Bermuda’s taxi service and independent mobility in today’s world expected by any visitor.
Don’t let me catch one of those ugly things where I park my motor-cycle every day; I’ll push it right into Hamilton Harbour.
And that’s why tourists come here…to experience home-grown Bermudian bad attitudes.
Hell no, the bus works just fine. How many tourists have actually been killed on our roads? Do we have a number? The roads are already so congested . And who will be brining for these in? Friends and family deal/ opportunity of course…
Misguided and misinformed.
We have far too many vehicles on the roads as it is, and allowing people unfamiliar with Bermuda’s narrow and winding roads (and with our swarms of dangerous motorists) to unwittingly add to the problem by putting them behind the wheel of a car is not, I think, a wise move. It may well make visitors safer, from a defensive viewpoint, than if they were on a scooter, but adding to the sheer weight of metal on the roads will probably create more kinetic chaos and injuries, overall.
Stop complaining about every new idea that could help revive the economy. Competition is healthy. I wish I had the money to invest in such an iniative but hey there will be spin off from this like cleaning, maintenance, custom spray painting, tour packages……it would be really cool to let tourist explore more of the island without some disgruntled taxi driver complaining about sand!