vehicles were first introduced to the Island more than 50 years ago.

That increase, and the resulting traffic congestion, has forced Government to give the Island's transport system a complete overhaul.

The recommendations, compiled after months of exhaustive research and consultation with transport bodies, are far reaching and will have a dramatic effect on the way of life for many Bermudians.

From tougher driving tests, environmental regulations and even encouraging where people live and work, the Government hopes that, by changing people's attitudes as well as transport habits, quality of life in Bermuda will improve.

It is not the first time that politicians have been forced to act on the issue of transport.

In 1951, five years after cars were first introduced to the Island, Parliament passed the Motor Car Act.

Predicting problems further down the road, the Act limited car ownership to just one vehicle per household, as well as restricted cars for hire and providing limitations on weight, dimensions and car engine size.

Bermuda is one of a tiny number of countries that restricts car ownership.

Despite the law, the number of vehicles on the road has rocketed.

In 1946 there were fewer than 2,000 motor vehicles on the Island. Fifty years later that number had increased to 47,635.

Population growth and changes in living habits are two of the reasons for the increase. In 1960 there were 12,516 homes on the Island, 50 percent of which had cars. By 1996, although the population had increased by about 50 percent, the number of residential units had more than doubled to nearly 27,000.

And significantly, figures show there is still room for further increases in the number of cars on the road. With 78 percent of homes now having a car, an additional 6,000 vehicles could legally be brought onto the Island.

"Even with the high number of cars on the Island's roads, the potential exists for 21 percent more if all residential units had a car,'' one report claims.

Another strain on the road network is travel patterns.

The City of Hamilton continues to grow as the Island's main employment centre.

Office space continues to expand with more and more building projects getting the go-ahead. Simultaneously, there has been a general shift in the population from the city to the outer parishes. Hamilton is now seen as a place to work rather than live. The result is a massive strain on the Island's roads at peak periods in the day when thousands of commuters make the daily trip to and from their place of work.

A similar pattern can be seen in tourism travel habits with visitors arriving in droves at certain months of the year.

One consultative study claims: "There was a time when Bermudians did not travel from parish to parish. People who lived in Somerset or St. George's also worked there.

"Today, it is common for commuters to travel from Somerset or St. George's to Hamilton and beyond. While the increase in the number of motor vehicles is a primary cause of traffic congestion, so is changing demographics.

"The combined effect of having 6,000 cruise ship visitors on the Island at one time and the significant increase in the number of motor vehicles has resulted in overcrowding.

"This in turn affects the quality of the Bermuda experience for visitors.

Increasingly, many visitors feel that Bermuda's roads are congested and that the various attractions are crowded.

"Bermuda's service sectors, whether they be hotel, retail, restaurant, airline, cruise ship or transportation services, are subject to significant seasonal fluctuations, with each sector having to utilise all available resources in certain months.

"This feast or famine situation is unproductive for transportation services which operate far more efficiently if demand is evenly spread throughout the year.

"In other jurisdictions, additional miles of roadway could be offset the increased volumes of road traffic. Such is not the case in Bermuda. No new miles of public highway have been added in the past ten years and none is planned. Simply put, Bermuda is running out of space to drive and park motor vehicles.

"The quality of life that makes Bermuda unique is at jeopardy unless action is taken to improve the transportation infrastructure.'' So how does the Government plan to tackle the problem of an ever increasing number of vehicles on the road? On Friday, Transport Minister Wayne Furbert made public four reports which will form a blueprint for transport policy in the next few years.

At the heart of the revamp is an effort to encourage people to travel on public transport by improving the bus and ferry service. Central to this theme is the creation of a central transportation planning body which will integrate the various transport bodies.

Transportation 2000 , a consultation document commissioned by the Transport Ministry 12 months ago, found that important transportation decisions were being made independent of each other.

"Each entity has established their own domain and often look at the other entities with suspicion,'' the report says.

"A central transportation planning section should be established to oversee the development of an integrated transportation plan. Responsibilities would include research, planning, coordination, scheduling, training, fare policy, advertising and service standards.'' Guidelines for the plan include the integration of routing, scheduling and fares, stopping transport protection policies, encouraging private sector involvement and improving fare collection technology.

"A truly integrated transportation system responds to the needs of the travelling public while optimising use of high capacity vehicles such as public and private buses, mini buses and other vehicles to provide better service to the customer,'' the report says.

"The transfer between the various modes should be as seamless as possible with a schedule that minimises wait time.'' The Island's ferry system is to undergo a radical restructure to try and encourage more people to travel by boat.

The current Somerset/Dockyard ferry fleet is to be replaced within two years by faster vessels that will improve on journey time, making it quicker to travel by ferry than car.

The new ferries will also be equipped to accommodate wheelchairs and bikes, giving passengers further travel options.

A new park and ride and bus terminal will also be considered at a site between Morgan's Point and Jews Bay and scheduling and fare integration with the public bus and minibus service is also planned.

It is also recommended that a ferry service between St. George's and Hamilton be expanded to five days a week and suggests that some ferry routes could be privatised.

Studies will also be conducted into the feasibility of building additional car parking spaces at Harbour Road and Darrell's Wharf.

"The modernisation of the ferry system will enable more extensive use of the waterways,'' the report says.

"More parking at ferry stops, faster vessels and better interface with the bus systems will enable the ferry system to become an integral part of the transportation system of the future.'' The Transportation 2000 report also found several problems with the Island's bus service, noting that few commuters used the service.

Recommendations to improve the service include taking the planning, research, development, fare policy and scheduling out of the hands of the Public Transport Board, allowing it to focus on operation and maintenance alone.

Competition should be introduced on all sightseeing and charter services and a separate school bus system could be put out to contract. Sunday and public holiday services should also be increased.

The Island's three mini-bus services could also be allowed to expand into new markets, including the Airport and the Dockyard/South Shore beaches run.

Driver training should also be provided and the possibility of fare integration will be studied.

The report complimented Bermuda's taxi service, claiming "one would be hard pressed to find another taxi system in the world that equals the system that exists in Bermuda today''.

Nevertheless it has made several recommendations to improve the service, including a revenue sharing scheme with the public transportation system. The 25 percent surcharge for travelling on Sundays could be dropped and the share ride concept is also recommended. It will also become compulsory for all taxis to be fitted with radios.

"The shared taxi ride concept could be very beneficial to the industry,'' Mr.

Furbert said. "The authority will work with the industry to come to a concensus on how it should be implimented.

"The taxi despatching system also needs an overhaul to ensure reliability, fairness and economical service for all concerned.'' An elected body is also to be set up to act as spokesman for the entire industry.

As well as improving public transport, the Government is also tackling road safety with a blend of education, enforcement and engineering strategies.

Transport Minister Wayne Furbert said: "The problem of traffic and road safety is certainly not a new one to the people of Bermuda.

"Punishment by means of driver licence disqualification, high monetary sanctions and even imprisonment has seemed to have had little impact on the driving conditions.

"Expensive road engineering schemes and rigorous maintenance schedules have improved the quality and aesthetics of the roadways but do little to curb the rise in reckless driving habits that seem to exhibit little regard for other road users.

"There is a resounding need for proper training to alert potential or new drivers to the dangers of driving. Proper training prior to obtaining a driver's licence is essential. This training would involve programmes such as Project-Ride defensive driving courses both in school curricula and for repeat offenders.

It is proposed that a points system be introduced whereby repeat offenders receive demerits against their licence. Once a certain number of points has been reached the driver faces disqualification.

Another weapon in the Government's armoury against dangerous driving is the implementation of a graduated licensing system whereby beginner drivers are licensed under certain restrictions and achieve additional driving privileges as they become more competent.

A series of traffic calming measures in certain zones such as schools, town centres and pedestrian walkways will also be discussed as well as the introduction of speed detection cameras.

And Traffic Control Department officers could be given increased powers in a bid to stamp out vehicle violations.

"The impact of poor driving behaviour is a constant source of annoyance and frustration and impacts on the quality of life for all in Bermuda,'' Mr.

Furbert said. "Further, the carnage of traffic accidents and the cost of injuries and death on our roads wreaks havoc on the very infrastructure of our small community.

"We all have a right to expect a certain level of competence of all road users. A new approach, based on models of behaviour change, is required to improve road safety and to reduce the incidents and severity of crashes.'' Another Government concern is the damaging effect increased pollution from vehicles is having on the environment.

Consultants de la Torre Klausmeier completed a report at the beginning of the year arguing that vehicle emissions could be reduced significantly if tighter regulations were introduced.

The report recommends that European emission standards should be adopted and that vehicles should be regularly inspected to make sure they are meeting those standards.

Smoke emissions could also be reduced by making it compulsory to use low smoke lubricating oil in motorcycles.

The recommendations will now be discussed by Cabinet with new legislation going before the House of Assembly later in the year and an interim committee is now being formed to work out the practicalities of implementing the Transportation 2000 scheme.

"I want to move on this very quickly -- you will be seeing a lot of action on this this year,'' Mr. Furbert said.

THE RISE AND RISE OF THE CAR Year Pop. Homes Cars Percentage 1960 42,640 12,516 6,292 50.3% 1970 52,330 16,126 10,494 65.1% 1980 54,050 20,350 13,169 64.7% 1990 59,588 24,489 19,112 75.0% 1996 61,121 26,979 21,220 78.7% JAMMED -- Traffic on Reid Street in Hamilton.