hired mopeds by hotels and cruise ships, MPs were told.

In the House of Assembly, PLP MP Walter Roberts highlighted the number of accidents involving unwary tourists and said that the real number of visitors injured in accidents could be much higher.

He said: "Tourists are being told that they are taking their lives into their own hands if they rent a cycle.

"With the amount of traffic on the roads, and with the recklessness of drivers that we have now, it is very understandable that visitors are being told this by shipping companies and hotels. If you spend several thousand dollars on a holiday, you don't want to spend half that time in hospital.'' Even the idea of a red number plate alerting residents to visitors on the road seemed to have disappeared, he said. Tourism Minister David Dodwell said he would be concerned if there were negative aspects being cast around.

Visitors were always given a test before allowed on the road, to see that they are comfortable with the machine, he said. But he agreed that locals were not showing the respect for tourists on rental bikes, that "they should be''.

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