Parliamentarians debated the wisdom of increasing the licensing fees for auxiliary cycles and the provision of 'loaner' cars by auto garages in the House of Assembly on Friday.

The Auxiliary Bicycles Amendment Act 2004 was introduced by Transport Minister Dr. Ewart Brown, who said bike licence fees had not been increased in two years and would now be $80.30 per year.

But Shadow Transport Minister Jamahl Simmons accused the Government of burdening the taxpayer, as along with the rises in licence fees ? there was also an increase in public transport fares.

Shadow Home Affairs Minister Maxwell Burgesssaid the increased licensing fees for livery cycles would impact upon the tourist industry.

"You are passing this onto the tourists that we can't get," said Mr. Burgess.

"We are all looking for these people to come ? now we are saying how can we get two bucks a day out of them."

Shadow Health Minister Michael Dunkleyquestioned whether Government had done the maths on the increases in licence fees since 1989. He said there had been an increase of 350 percent.

"In 1989 the cost was $25.80 to license an auxiliary cycle ? now it is up to $80.30," said Mr. Dunkley. "It just goes to show that the increases have really outstripped the cost of inflation."

Shadow Works and Engineering Minister Patricia Gordon-Pamplin said she heard a Minister talking about visitors using cabs instead of renting auxiliary cycles.

She said: "To put people into a taxi is a cock-eyed logic.

"There might be an annual increase of a penny a day, but adding that little bit extra on licensing fees, a little bit extra on cigarette prices, a little bit extra on land tax. We don't have to nickel and dime the tourists that we don't have."

But Dr. Brown said: "We have lowered flight costs from Baltimore by $400 to $500 ? I don't think that they (tourists) will mind a two cent a day increase on their livery cycle for the Bermuda experience."

Dr. Brown also introduced legislation that would allow garages and car dealers to have lend vehicles to clients while their cars were being repaired.

Dr. Brown said the service would have to be offered for free. He added it would not have increase traffic levels because it merely replaced one vehicle with another.

The Act also increased vehicle licence fees for cars and taxis.

Mr. Simmons asked how Government planned to regulate the service and he expressed concern over the smaller garages, who might only be able to have one car, rather than the maximum of five.

Dr. Brown said he would depend on the Police to help enforce the regulations so the there was no abuse of the system.

Mr. Burgess wondered why he would put more pressure on an already stretched Police traffic department and asked if larger garages would need more than five cars.

Dr. Brown said he would take it under advisement.

Mr. Burgess said the root of the problem with delays at the garage was the fact that they did not stock enough parts and he wondered whether Minister could address the problem.

He said: "We are all driving around with a missing bumper or a horn that is not working because the garage doesn't have the parts.

"I would think that with the advent of the Internet they would be able to get parts in sooner."

Mrs. Gordon-Pamplin asked whether the Minister had considered the cost of insuring loan vehicles because of age stipulations between those over the age of 25 and those who were older.

She also suggested that the costs of these loan vehicles would trickle down and impact on garage costs, which would in turn hit the tax payer in the pocket.

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