Revamped car legislation could be tabled in the House of Assembly as early as this October, it emerged yesterday.

And car dealers have welcomed moves by Government to increase vehicle size specifications.

The Royal Gazette understands that Transport Minister Dr. Ewart Brown will introduce the new Motor Car Act immediately following a major meeting with automobile industry stakeholders and members of the public, which will be held the same month. Some car dealers said they saw the proposed size increases as a saving grace for their businesses because it will allow them to keep selling models that will be revamped within the next two years and will be too large to be imported under current rules.

Should the proposed legislation be passed by Parliament, dealers and drivers will have access to a whole new range of family vehicles, including Sports Utility Vehicles, such as the Toyota Rav 4, and stationwagons, such as the Ford Focus Estate.

Bermuda Automobile Dealership Association chairman Anthony Steede said: "This will have a significant positive impact on the industry and also provide the public with a lot more choice." He said he did not want to say too much on behalf of the association because he had not yet had a chance to hear the views of all members on the issue. But, speaking in his capacity as Bermuda Motors president, Mr. Steede said: "I think its a wonderful idea. It places all of the dealerships on a much more level playing field in terms of product availability by opening up a whole new range of vehicles. Manufacturers don't make cars especially for the Island and there are a whole lot of stringent rules which are difficult for them to meet. This will ease the situation."

He said his company would be able to bring in at least three new models of SUVs, two new stationwagons and two more sedans. Mr. Steede explained that dealers had been lobbying Government to increase sizes for last few months, partly in the interests of safety.

Currently dealers often replace the standard bumpers on cars with smaller ones so they can squeeze into the legal limit.

EuroCar Ltd. president Richard Davidge said the larger models of cars would be safer in other ways because of the inclusion of side-impact bars or devices such as curtain airbags.

He said the move would be instrumental in keeping him in business and also provide consumers with opportunities to buy family cars, including models such as the new Mitsubishi station wagon or the Peugot 307.

"I think this is needed. If we don't see a change, then within the next year or so my business will be down to only being able to sell two vehicles. This is going to keep me in business. Two vehicles is nothing and if it got to that I would have to alter the whole infrastructure of the business."

"No other country that I know of has size restrictions like Bermuda does. I understand that we have to have them. Its just good that, in this case, common sense has to be prevail and for everyone it is a positive thing."

Meanwhile, Shadow Transport Minister Erwin Adderley said "on the surface of it", the proposals to increase size restrictions seemed "to fly in the face of logic". While he had not yet seen the details of the proposed size increases, he said: "I don't quite see how increasing size specifications will help with road safety or with congestion. Dr. Brown hasn't laid out how this will work yet but it seems to me that, on the surface, these proposals are impractical and counterproductive."