Government proposals encouraging the use of “greener” transportation have met with mixed approval from environmentalists.With Government revenues falling short of expectations, Premier Paula Cox announced a raft of possible tax changes, to be discussed early next year.A Ministry of Finance Pre-Budget Report said Government was examining a change in fees to cut the yearly cost of owning fuel-efficient vehicles.Currently, the cost of a local licence is predicated on the size of the vehicle.“It is thought that changing the basis of the annual vehicle licence from the dimensions of the vehicles to the fuel efficiency of the vehicle will promote purchases of energy-efficient vehicles,” the report said.“This change is planned to be revenue neutral. However, to prevent vehicle owners from seeing a sudden rise in licensing cost, this change is to be phased in over a period of year.”For Government backbencher Dennis Lister, who directs a business aimed at selling electronic cars, the initiative was welcome news.He said one aim of the Energy White Paper was encouraging residents to embrace “green technology”.“What we need to do as a Country and Government is enhance peoples’ interest in going green,” he said.The licensing amendment is an economic incentive to change practices, Mr Lister said.“Electronic cars and bicycles are free of duty already. This could be a new advantage, although there’s nothing definite about it yet.”He said the Island E Car ought to qualify as fuel-efficient, and said his own had saved his family about $6,000 a year. The electric vehicles, which are still being tested, are hoped to go on the market early next year.Greenrock president Judith Landsberg said the environmental group was happy to see Government moving in the right direction.“There’s no question it would be good. What we want to see is more like it, especially in promoting alternative transport.”For Bermuda Environmental Sustainability Taskforce director Stuart Hayward, the proposed incentive was an encouraging sign but didn’t go far enough.“Any move toward fuel-efficient cars and a lower carbon footprint is a good thing. But let’s be serious about it, and really do it.”He urged Government not to “pussyfoot around”.“We have the capability here to control our own borders and say that the Island will bring only fuel-efficient cars in,” Mr Hayward added.A local campaigner, requesting not to be named since she was speaking unofficially, told The Royal Gazette that she agreed with a review of annual taxes on cars but that more factors needed to be considered.“Size is important because there are too many oversized vehicles on the road and these are, in my opinion, absolutely unnecessary for Bermuda’s roads. They are designed for rough terrain and Bermudians are driving them more for style than practicality, a serious issue that spreads to many other facets of our over-consuming and unnecessarily complicated lifestyles. Larger vehicles that cannot safely fit on the roads, including turning corners, are dangerous to other drivers, and this should definitely be discouraged.“That said, there are new large vehicles that run on diesel which may be more ‘fuel-efficient’ yet are more polluting. The Government’s tax system would need to address concerns over air pollution.”She also urged Government to encourage car pooling.“Imagine what East Broadway would look like during rush hour commute if one lane was for single-occupants only.”She said cars overall could be more highly taxed, and that public transportation was a further serious issue that needed to be addressed.“The Government should be encouraging its citizens to lead the lifestyles that meets their needs, without compromising the needs of future generations,” she said.