Transport Minister Dr. Ewart Brown has reassured motorists with older vehicles that they will not be driven off the road by new clean air measures which MPs have passed.

Dr. Brown said special provisions would be made for older cars and bikes which do not have the technology to meet new clean air standards.

Senate on Monday passed the Motor Car Amendment and Auxiliary Bicycles Amendment Acts, which will require all imported vehicles to meet the clean air standards of either the United States, the European Union or Japan.

Government will introduce further legislation in the near future to making it compulsory for all vehicles currently in Bermuda to be tested annually for emissions standards which have still to be set.

Dr. Brown said yesterday most cars currently on the road in Bermuda will have the technology to pass the new emission standards.

But for older cars, bikes and trucks which cannot meet the standards because of their engine design, a "grandfather'' clause will allow them to remain on the road, said Dr. Brown.

Government tested 600 vehicles to get an idea of the pollution being caused by the current fleet of vehicles.

"There is no need to panic at all. The legislation is not designed to be punitive at all, but to encourage and get co-operation from motorists to assist us in getting clean air,'' Dr. Brown told The Royal Gazette yesterday.

"Certain vehicles will be grandfathered because they don't have the technology to meet the standards, and there's the possibility of another standard for these vehicles to get the best standard.

"We tested 600 vehicles and the reason we did that was to where the vehicles are currently at and every vehicle will eventually be tested as part of the licensing.

"This will be added to the list of things the vehicle has to pass, but most of the cars currently on the road have the technology to pass the test.''

Transport Control Department director Kevin Monkman said the new standards would be designed to ensure 90 percent of vehicles pass, but the ten percent of worst polluters would fail.

As the fleet became modernised, the standards would get more stringent to gradually increase the air quality.

The new emissions laws for imports will not take effect until next year because Government has promised car dealers that the rules will not apply until six months after the bill is signed by Governor Thorold Masefield.

Government has still to decide whether TCD or the private sector will carry out the annual emission tests, added Mr. Monkman.