Curbs on single and childless foreigners owning cars are on the cards as Government clamps down on Bermuda’s increasingly clogged roads.

And a bill will be passed in the coming parliamentary session limiting the amount of cars available to expatriates in companies holding more than ten work permits.

The measures were among a slew of initiatives announced by Premier Ewart Brown who hinted free public transport was on the way.

Measures include:

• A 12-month moratorium on truck permits starting from July 1.
• A bill to require motorists to live at the same address at which their car is registered.
• A bill to impound unlicensed and uninsured vehicles and also where a driver is disqualified or without insurance.
• A demerit points system, likely to be ready by the summer, to ban motorists for too many infractions.

Premier Brown has ruled out, for now, a return to the law abolished in the mid-90s, where drivers who sold their used car had to agree they wouldn’t purchase a new one for 12 months.

He said that option wouldn’t produce the results and go far enough. “We also took into account the economic impact on removing that option from the local population,” he said.

But Government is planning to move against the second-hand car market which it blames for increasing vehicles on the roads as people upgrade but happily cash in on their old one.

A 2002 transport report showed that 52 percent of vehicles on the road were second-hand.

New restrictions might allow motorists to offload cars overseas so there was no net gain of vehicles on the road.

The Premier said many of the policies were still being worked on, including the curb on car numbers for foreign workers in larger firms.

He could not say how many cars the employer would be expected to ration out.

“The details are still being worked out. We are working with international business as we speak to work out the details.

“But it will be done by a formula that will give the business a certain number of cars and they will work out the distribution in-house.”

The measure would limit the expat from “buying a car at will” and also place the burden on employers to know their workers and assess their genuine needs.

“Additionally the Ministry of Tourism and Transport is actively formulating a policy on car ownership by our guest workers that will operate as a significant deterrent to the single or childless worker or couple owning a car.

“We don’t think we are being punitive at all. We think Bermuda provides an environment for expatriate workers like no other. We think we are extremely friendly and extremely flexible to guest workers.”

Work is also being done to curb abuse of assessment numbers with landlords leaving apartments empty to allow their family to run more than one car. Another trick, soon to be outlawed, is where landlords nab an assessment number for their own family’s use before renting out an apartment.

It’s thought at least 200 cars could be taken out of circulation via rigorous enforcement of the one car per assessment number rule.

Premier Brown said the initiatives were just the beginning of a concerted effort to tackle congestion which will also look at changing traffic flow.

“You will hear before the end of the summer another list of measures that will be taken by the Government.

“We are determined to reduce traffic congestion — both by vehicular ownership and also through traffic management.”

Bermuda has more than 1,000 cars per square mile.

And Government is working on bringing in free transport to encourage motorists to switch.

“I would like to see it as soon as possible,” said Dr. Brown.

“There is a significant reduction in revenue that would occur but we think in the long term it’s a worthwhile investment for a country of this size which can’t allow traffic congestion to spoil the quality of life.”

Lost public transport revenue could be recouped by a variety of methods including increased gasoline tax said the Premier.

“But even if we didn’t (recoup) sometimes the Government has to invest in the future. That’s called sustainable development.”

He said it was very difficult to change Bermuda’s pro-car culture.

“What we are trying to do is close some of the doors that lead to abuse.

“We will chip away at that culture but I don’t know we will ever rid the Island of the culture which makes people proud of their vehicles and anxious to use them. But it is our job to regulate the environment.”

He added: “The resolution of our traffic problems requires bold and decisive action from Government and a willingness on the part of the community to make personal sacrifices.

“The response of the community to these proposals will assist me in making the case for this change.”

Government is doing everything it could to make public transport a better option said Dr. Brown with more buses starting on Monday on the 7, 8, 10 and 11 routes.

And, by May 14, it should be possible to get a bus every 15 minutes even at non-peak times on those routes.

Dr. Brown said mini-bus services were improving but he hoped more entrepreneurs would show interest in running water taxis — particularly between Hamilton, Paget and Warwick.