Members of Parliament welcomed legislation that would require teenagers to ride on Bermuda’s roads before securing their auxiliary cycle rider’s licence.

The Auxiliary Bicycles (Project Ride) Amendment Act 2026 was read for a second time and passed without objection in the House of Assembly yesterday.

Presented by Owen Darrell, the Minister of Tourism, Transport, Culture and Sport, the legislation would require Project Ride students to hold a learner’s permit and their teachers to hold a $121-a-year instructor’s licence before teaching them.

Mr Darrell explained that the 12-hour course for teenagers “introduces students to various aspects of traffic laws, auxiliary bicycle proficiency skills, rules of the road and places the emphasis on correct and safe riding procedures”.

He added: “The Project Ride programme successfully processes between 400 and 600 students per year, however, the practical skills obtained by each graduate have always been challenged because of the absence of an on-road component.”

The amendment would provide that the on-road exam will assess riders’ “understanding of traffic rules, safe driving technique and ability to navigate live traffic conditions”.

It also aims to make sure that any visitor must have been, or must intend to be, in Bermuda for at least 30 days in order to apply for a driver’s licence.

Mr Darrell discussed plans to upload the youth licence theory exam onto the Transport Control Department’s online suite and give students time to take the test after school.

He said: “An additional benefit will be that of developing a better attitude of the process of acquiring a driver’s licence from the students, because like every other licence applicant, they must arrange a time to sit the exam at TCD.”

Mr Darrell added that the $12 learner’s permit application fee “is a small price to pay to ensure youth licence applicants are equipped with the skills to develop road sense, which can contribute to road safety”.

Dwayne Robinson, the Shadow Minister of Tourism, Culture and Transport, asked how examiners would be able to communicate with riders during the road test and how many students would take the test at one time.

He said: “In this particular case, if there is an accident that involves a learner, the instructor can only caution them from afar, they can’t necessarily engage in anything that would protect that young rider.”

Mr Darrell responded that examiners can talk to riders through an earpiece during the test and that the Director of Transport Control will set guidelines on how many riders can test at once.

Dennis Lister III, the Junior Minister of Justice, served as chairman of the Bermuda Road Safety Council from 2018 to 2025.

He told MPs: “I remember going to TCD and taking that test, but this amendment puts that theory to test with real-world experience.

“This is something that was recognised by the Bermuda Road Safety Council a number of years back and I’m excited to now see this come to fruition.”

The Royal Gazette’s Drive for Change road safety campaign advocated for Project Ride to include on-road training, as well as speed cameras and roadside sobriety testing.