Transport Minister Dr. Ewart Brown is hoping a new range of luxury limousines will be introduced to Bermuda this year.

The idea of having limousines, like the town cars for hire in New York, was floated in the National Transportation plan published in January last year.

Dr. Brown told The Royal Gazette yesterday that Government was giving the limousine option "serious consideration" and he hoped they could be on the roads this year.

But Bermuda Taxi Owners Association president Gordon Flood said he doubted whether there was enough business for a limousine service.

And he asked if the new limousine owners would be required to pay the $50,000 taxi owners have to pay for a permit.

The new cars would be bigger than those currently on the road, but unlikely to be bigger than the six-seater taxis, said Dr. Brown.

They could operate like taxis by picking up on the streets and would enhance Bermuda's reputation as a luxury destination, he added.

So far, feedback from the taxi industry had been positive as some had expressed an interest in operating the new limousines, he said.

"It is an idea that is under serious consideration. It would be a different vehicle, a different body, a different style, and a different look," said Dr. Brown.

"It is more than 20 years since the introduction of the six-seater cabs and we are considering another type of taxi that probably be a four-seater that is a little more on the luxury side to be consistent with our upscale resort destination image.

"We are still talking about it with the taxi industry, but the initial response from the taxi owners has been positive.

"They will not be compulsory but would be offered to those operators who wanted to move to another level. Again, it is an issue of choice.

"We are speaking to various manufacturers to see what kind of dimensions they can offer."

Mr. Flood said: "I haven't really heard what he wants to do or how he intends to do it, but personally, I don't think there is enough business.

"If a person is just going to be doing a town car, it would be difficult to make a living. I don't know any taxi drivers who would give up their car to do that kind of business unless he can charge whatever he likes and has an open-ended scale."

And he claimed Dr. Brown only took advice from a small clique of drivers.

"Dr. Brown has a nucleus of 20 to 30 drivers he listens to and he gets all his feedback from them, and if he told them to go jump over the moon, there would be 30 of them that would try."