Car and auxiliary cycle owners will soon face stiffer fines if caught driving or allowing someone else to drive their unlicensed vehicles.

Introducing both The Motor Car Amendment (No. 4) Act 1997 and The Auxiliary Bicycles Amendment Act 1997 in the Upper House on Wednesday, Government Sen.

Larry Scott said the first will impose a $1,000 fine on those who drive unlicensed cars, and the latter will allow the courts to fine owners of unlicensed auxiliary cycles $450.

Fines under the old legislation were $100 and $300, respectively.

He noted that The Motor Car Amendment (No. 4) Act 1997 amended The Traffic Offences (Penalties) Act 1976.

Senators all agreed that a growing number of people were taking chances and driving unlicensed vehicles because it was cheaper to pay the fine, than to licence their vehicles. And they welcomed the new legislation.

Law abiding citizens have been "subsidising'' those who cheat the system for too long, Government Sen. Allan Marshall charged. "This old law has perhaps encouraged people to be law breakers,'' he said, "so I'm glad we finally have a piece of legislation coming to the table to rectify the situation.'' Independent Sen. Walwyn Hughes said he wished Government had a similar method of tracking social insurance cheaters.

"I'm worried that this ethos of cheating to save money has carried over in other areas,'' he added.

While supporting the Bill, Opposition Sen. Neletha Butterfield questioned why it had taken Government "so long'' to crack down on offenders.

She noted that Government already knew there were some 1,000 unlicensed cars on Bermuda's roads and she said the owners could easily be traced via residential assessment numbers.

Pointing out that the new law allowed traffic wardens to put tickets on parked unlicensed vehicles, Opposition Senate Leader Milton Scott said Magistrates' Court could expect more work. However, he added that he was glad to see the legislation.

Opposition Sen. Terry Lister said he understood the rationale for increasing the fine for unlicensed cars to $1,000. Some drivers found the $100 fine for such an offence more attractive than $800 licence fees, he noted.

But he questioned the logic behind increasing the fine for unlicensed auxiliary cycles to $450.

Considering that the licence fee for such a vehicle was about $75, Sen. Lister said he found the penalty "heavy handed'', particularly for youngsters who usually used auxiliary cycles.

"Why did you end up with a fine of $450 rather than $250?'' he asked Sen.

Larry Scott. "Why did we even adjust it, if the fine was already three times that of the licence fee?'' Sen. Scott said the problem of unlicensed cycles was more prevalent than that of unlicensed cars.

Independent Sen. Alf Oughton noted that he had suggested several years ago that insurers be allowed to collect both licensing and insuring fees and issue licence stickers with insurance certificates after a vehicle has passed the Transport Control Department.

This, he explained, would ensure that drivers license and insure their vehicles.

The Senate also passed a Bill which will increase the maximum weight of light trucks from 4,000 tons to 5,500.

Sen. Larry Scott explained that The Motor Car Amendment Act (No. 3) 1997 was necessary because manufacturers were making light trucks heavier.