Former United Bermuda Party Minister Quinton Edness has called on Government to be better prepared for future hurricanes by building two bridges in the East End of the Island.

He has written to Premier Alex Scott, Transport Minister Dr. Ewart Brown and Finance Minister Eugene Cox with his elaborate proposal for bridges to be built over the Causeway and from Coney Island to Ferry Reach.

He said although the cost could run to hundreds of millions of dollars, both residents and businesses could be taxed to help pay for them over a number of years.

Mr. Edness said he had talked with friends and businessmen who had agreed that Government should start considering what to do to improve the situation now, so that a more permanent structure was in place within the next three years.

And he also suggested Belco put all of its cables underground and proposed that customers pay a surcharge on their bills to pay for the costly exercise.

“We ask that these matters be considered urgently by the Government, and proposals be put before the general public for discussion and confirmation as soon as possible, so that the planning work on these proposals can start soon,” said Mr. Edness, who is a former Works and Engineering Minister.

“There are several options that could be considered which could fund the building of the bridges. There could be the floating of a bond, a toll etc. However, the method we favour is in keeping with the Bermudian financial philosophy of paying our way, which is as follows.

“We are proposing that legislation should be drafted that would create a bridge tax and have a firm clause in it that the tax will cease once the bridges are paid for.

“This legislation will make allowances for those who could not afford to pay and penalties for those who could and tried to avoid doing so.”

He said the proposal he had drafted could see the bridges paid for within ten years, or 15 at the most.

Mr. Edness praised the Premier for his leadership during the last few days following Hurricane Fabian, and said Mr. Scott had intimated that the Causeway may be totally replaced at some stage.

“We are suggesting the time is now,” he added.

“It will cost the country five times more in the next decade. The Causeway is over 50-years-old and has served Bermuda well. However, it is obvious it needs to be replaced.

“No person is more aware than you (Premier) that the airport is the lifeline of Bermuda and the Causeway is an integral part of the airport.

“Take them away or damage them to the extent that they are not useable, as happened recently with Hurricane Fabian, and the Bermuda economy almost dies.”

He said, moreover, that the people of St. George's and St. David's deserved the security of a well-constructed bridge to the mainland at all times.

He said building a second bridge that linked Ferry Reach with Coney Island would provide an alternative and a back-up.

The Causeway may not be fully operational for another month after Hurricane Fabian caused severe damage last Friday.

However, more importantly, four people who were trying to cross the bridge soon after the hurricane force winds whipped up were swept to their deaths as high seas descended.

Mr. Edness said the bridges were a necessity and suggested, as an example, that all residents be taxed $600 a year to help pay for them, while businesses be taxed anywhere from $1,000 to $15,000 a year, depending on their gross takings.

However, he said these were very casual estimates purely to show the concept, but he said they could easily be changed accordingly.

And, similarly, the same could be done by the utility companies.

“That we need a plan to put all of the major electrical cables underground to avoid the cost to the country when hit by a sizeable hurricane is obvious,” Mr. Edness added.

“It has been talked about and investigated before.

“A lot of the information as to how it can be done already exists in both the Public Works Department and Belco.”

And, he concluded: “Our purpose is to embolden the Government and to let you know there are those of us in the community who would support an initiative to fund the project.”