Forty-five Government vehicles are being taken from the roads in a cost-cutting move.

Works Minister Derrick Burgess yesterday announced the number of Government-owned vehicles would be cut from 500 due to rising insurance and repairs bills.

The unwanted cars will be kept at the Government Quarry in Hamilton Parish, with the newer ones stored so that they can eventually replace ageing vehicles. Older vehicles will be either sold or scrapped.

The Ministry yesterday failed to respond when asked how much money the plan would save and who the 45 vehicles being taken away belong to — although he did say the decision had not been well received in some areas of the public service.

Mr. Burgess' review of the vehicle fleet was announced in March as part of a triple cost-saving initiative, which also included cutbacks on advertising in The Royal Gazette and on Government's travel expenses.

The newspaper ban led to accusations from across the world that Premier Ewart Brown is using official advertising as a weapon of reprisal against this newspaper, given that advertising was not withdrawn from the Bermuda Sun, a publication which didn't run a pro-transparency campaign.

No update has so far been provided on the travel cutback, but budget figures reveal Government travel has trebled in a decade, from $2.2 million in 1998/99 to $7.4 million this year.

A Cabinet committee spearheaded by Mr. Burgess revealed the cost of maintaining Government's fleet went up from just over $3 million in 2004/05 to $3.7 million in 2007/08.

"Therefore, careful consideration is being given to the manner in which Government services its vehicles, procures new vehicles and spare parts, engages in insurance arrangements and allocates the use of the vehicles," said Mr. Burgess in a statement.

"Whilst a raft of recommendations is expected to flow from the Cabinet committee, one of the first accepted by Cabinet and already implemented related to the reduction in size of the Government-owned fleet.

"The decision to reduce the numerical size of the Government-owned fleet was not well received in some areas of the public service. However, the Government wishes to applaud those public servants who have lost their previously assigned vehicles without complaint and who accept the compelling authority of operational efficiency and fiscal prudence. That is what this Government is about — operational efficiency and fiscal prudence."

Explaining the rationale behind the move, he said: "The people of Bermuda will know that from the time that the Progressive Labour Party assumed the Government of Bermuda just under ten years ago, there was a commitment to effect enhanced efficiency and fiscal prudence in all areas of the Government's operation.

"In this context, the decision was taken to examine whether the fleet of Government-owned vehicles might be reduced in size without compromising the efficiency of Government's wide range of critically important services to the public.

"To this end, a Cabinet committee that I have the honour of chairing and comprised of three more of my colleagues, was established by the Premier to examine every facet of the matter, including the proposed reduction in the numerical size of the fleet; individual Government Departments' identified need for Government-owned vehicles; the purchasing policy for Government-owned vehicles and annual operating costs for the fleet, including maintenance, insurance, licensing and fuel costs. The Cabinet committee was charged with bringing forward specific recommendations whereby savings might be effected without compromising efficiency."

Earlier this month, Mr. Burgess revealed Dr. Brown was getting a second new car — a Toyota Camry (GP2), to go alongside his BMW 750Li (GP2), which he got in June.