The Premier's office yesterday failed to alleviate fears that expats will be excluded from free rides on public transport.

Last week's Budget statement from Finance Minister Paula Cox suggested the freebie — a key promise in the Progressive Labour Party's General Election manifesto — was going to be specifically available to Bermudians. Yesterday, Premier and Transport Minister Ewart Brown's Press Secretary Glenn Jones did not directly answer questions about exactly who would benefit from the initiative.

Mr. Jones told The Royal Gazette only: "The planning to deliver free transport is a work in progress."

He did not respond to this newspaper's follow-up request for a clarification on whether the scheme would apply to all people, or just Bermudians. Speculation over the initiative surfaced after Ms Cox said last Friday: "We recognised that there was a need to improve on our public services.

"That is what the people voted for on December 18, 2007. They wanted to see their needs attended to even more directly.

"This we intend to do — free day care for children under four years for families whose circumstances require it, free bus and ferry fares for Bermudians on a phased basis, FutureCare — as part of a raft of initiatives to help citizens and to promote sustainable practices."

Her choice of wording led to debates on the local blogosphere from Bermudians and non-Bermudians who complained that failing to extend the offer to expats — while expecting them to pay extra taxes along with everyone else — amounted to discrimination. "This free bus rides for Bermudians only is starting to bug me more and more... it should make any right thinking Bermudian feel uncomfortable," said one person on Bermudasucks.com.

"What should have been done was to make it free for legal Bermuda residents who can prove they have a financial need and then those people can show a special pass, much like the seniors do now... Right now, it sounds very discriminatory," said another Bermudian.

Dr. Brown stated at last Friday's post-Budget press conference that Government was committed to preparing the public transport system for the future demands that a free service would create. Before the election, the PLP said making public transport affordable would encourage travellers not to congest the roads with private vehicles. Government makes about $10 million annually from bus and ferry fares.