Vehicle owners will soon be able to purchase personalised license plates from the Ministry of Transport after a bill was passed by the Senate on Wednesday.

Government Sen. David Burch said the Motor Car Amendment Act 2000 would raise an estimated $125,000 of extra revenue.

He said vehicle owners would be able to apply to the Ministry for six character, blue and white licence plates with the words "Bermuda'' across the top and "Another World'' inscribed at the bottom.

Sen. Burch said: "The Ministry of Transport has been looking for ways of coming up with a bit of additional revenue and this is one of them.'' He said drivers would pay a $33 one-time payment for their plate, supplemented by annual $17 fees.

Sen. Walwyn Hughes asked: "What authority would be responsible for deciding what is appropriate to go on the plates? "Would it be just the Minister of Transport himself, because I haven't seen anything in the bill itself that specifies it.'' Sen. Burch said the requested plate inscription would have to go through the Transport Control Department before being allowed on the road.

The Senate also passed the Merchant Shipping Amendment Act 2000, which will allow the Bermuda Registry of Shipping to keep proper records of sailors who are discharged from their vessels.

Senate also approved a change in the Census regulations, which extended the completion date from July 31 to August 31.

Sen. Calvin Smith (PLP) said the Census was delayed because many of the enumerators had dropped out.