If rental cars were available....

[islegroove]

Would you use them (depending on cost)?

 

For context, we are talking about two-seat vehicles.

 

Why or why not?

 

If yes, what form of transportation would you have used instead?

 

Thanks, just curious as to what visitors use as a way of transportation.

[Charles4515]

Would you use them (depending on cost)?

 

 

 

For context, we are talking about two-seat vehicles.

 

 

 

Why or why not?

 

 

 

If yes, what form of transportation would you have used instead?

 

 

 

Thanks, just curious as to what visitors use as a way of transportation.

 

 

 

Besides cost it would depend on how safe such a small vehicle would be on Bermuda roads. The Renault vehicle pictured in one of the stories is pretty small. It is meant for urban areas. I don't think it is designed for Bermudas varied roads.

 

These are not rental cars. They are four wheeled motorcycles.

 

It has no doors. How comfortable is it going to be? What happens when it rains? If I were going to rent it would probably have to be at least a SmartCar size vehicle. I doubt I would rent that kind of vehicle that was pictured.

 

I am skeptical of the whole scheme.

 

The forms of transportation I have used are public buses and ferries, minibus shuttles and taxis. That has worked out well.

Edited July 16, 2016 by Charles4515

[Langoustine]

I wouldn't do it. Buses and taxis served us very well in 2011, and we never had to worry about parking.

Edited July 16, 2016 by Langoustine

[df5250]

I would not rent a car in Bermuda. Buses, ferries, shuttles and taxi's have worked very well for us! Especially with stops at Swizzle Inn!!

[njhorseman]

Besides cost it would depend on how safe such a small vehicle would be on Bermuda roads. The Renault vehicle pictured in one of the stories is pretty small. It is meant for urban areas. I don't think it is designed for Bermudas varied roads.

 

These are not rental cars. They are four wheeled motorcycles.

 

It has no doors. How comfortable is it going to be? What happens when it rains? If I were going to rent it would probably have to be at least a SmartCar size vehicle. I doubt I would rent that kind of vehicle that was pictured.

 

I am skeptical of the whole scheme.

 

The forms of transportation I have used are public buses and ferries, minibus shuttles and taxis. That has worked out well.

 

I wouldn't rent one either, if for no other reason that I wouldn't trust myself to drive properly on the left hand side of the road after only driving on the right side for my entire life.

 

But the vehicle they're showing (Renault Twizy) absolutely does have a door (or doors) as well as a roof. The door(s) swings up to open as you can see in the picture in this article:

 

http://bernews.com/2016/07/tourism-authority-strongly-supports-concept/

Edited July 17, 2016 by njhorseman

[Charles4515]

I wouldn't rent one either, if for no other reason that I wouldn't trust myself to drive properly on the left hand side of the road after only driving on the right side for my entire life.

 

But the vehicle they're showing (Renault Twizy) absolutely does have a door (or doors) as well as a roof. The door(s) swings up to open as you can see in the picture in this article:

 

http://bernews.com/2016/07/tourism-authority-strongly-supports-concept/

 

 

 

The ones in that picture in Bernews does have doors. But if you read reviews of the vehicle and look at images of it on the internet you will see images of the vehicle without doors. Doors are not standard. They are optional.

 

 

 

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Edited July 17, 2016 by Charles4515

[njhorseman]

The ones in that picture in Bernews does have doors. But if you read reviews of the vehicle and look at images of it on the internet you will see images of the vehicle without doors. Doors are not standard. They are optional.

 

 

 

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Since the government chose to display a picture of the vehicle with doors, wouldn't one reasonably assume that the vehicles used in Bermuda would have them? After all they could have shown the car with or without, and they chose with.

 

Here's the government's explanation of the proposal:

 

https://www.gov.bm/articles/motor-car-amendment-bill

 

Note the following statement contained therein: "The proposed Act is very clear that the design or build of the body of a livery motor car will be regulated and controlled so as to be conducive to road safety in Bermuda;"

 

Couldn't one reasonably assume that doors are likely to be required in order to be conducive to road safety?

Edited July 17, 2016 by njhorseman

[Charles4515]

Since the government chose to display a picture of the vehicle with doors, wouldn't one reasonably assume that the vehicles used in Bermuda would have them? After all they could have shown the car with or without, and they chose with.

 

Here's the government's explanation of the proposal:

 

https://www.gov.bm/articles/motor-car-amendment-bill

 

Note the following statement contained therein: "The proposed Act is very clear that the design or build of the body of a livery motor car will be regulated and controlled so as to be conducive to road safety in Bermuda;"

 

Couldn't one reasonably assume that doors are likely to be required in order to be conducive to road safety?

 

 

They said the vehicle was one of several under consideration. It is a stock photo. The link says ten cars are under consideration. Very possible the picture they picked was one to give the idea the best spin. Even if they require doors, windows on that model are a separate option. And the windows are to winterize the vehicles. They don't roll up or down. Also the government is not going to rent or buy vehicles. That will be a private company or companies.

 

 

Never assume anything.

 

 

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Edited July 17, 2016 by Charles4515

[njhorseman]

They said the vehicle was one of several under consideration. It is a stock photo. The link says ten cars are under consideration. Very possible the picture they picked was one to give the idea the best spin. Even if they require doors, windows on that model are a separate option. And the windows are to winterize the vehicles. They don't roll up or down. Also the government is not going to rent or buy vehicles. That will be a private company or companies.

 

 

Never assume anything.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

The government isn't buying the vehicles, but they are setting up the regulations that will define what the approved vehicles models are and how they must be equipped.

 

In fact one of your major objections is based on your assumptions on how the vehicles will be equipped, when you don't know how they'll be equipped. Why not wait to see what the regulations say (assuming the law passes) before declaring that they'll have no doors or if they have doors they'll have no windows.

Edited July 17, 2016 by njhorseman

[sunsetswizzle]

Buses and ferry are the best way to get around Bermuda! No reason to rent a car in Bermuda.

[Charles4515]

The government isn't buying the vehicles, but they are setting up the regulations that will define what the approved vehicles models are and how they must be equipped.

 

In fact one of your major objections is based on your assumptions on how the vehicles will be equipped, when you don't know how they'll be equipped. Why not wait to see what the regulations say (assuming the law passes) before declaring that they'll have no doors or if they have doors they'll have no windows.

 

If the cars were like the Car2Go small smart cars I would not have major objections. Only minor ones like where are tourists going to park the vehicles. The ones they gave as an example look like a poor choice.

 

Yes, I guess we will have to wait and see if the government proposal goes anywhere.

[marco]

I wouldn't. Part of the charm of Bermuda is using buses, ferries and scooters and NO rental cars. Driving on the "wrong" side of the road is just asking for trouble and parking is tight enough as it is.

Edited July 18, 2016 by marco

[Charles4515]

I wouldn't. Part of the charm of Bermuda is using buses, ferries and scooters and NO rental cars. Driving on the "wrong" side of the road is just asking for trouble and parking is tight enough as it is.

 

 

 

I think a lot of cruise ship passengers driving around Bermuda in rental cars, particularly those used to driving on the different side from the US would not be a safe situation. I have rented cars in Aruba and England and learned to drive on the other side but it took a few days to get used to it. You look the wrong way at intersections. The side of the car keeps heading for the curb. General orientation and direction is confusing. Cruise ship passengers don't have the time needed to assimilate. I would not rent a car in Bermuda visiting on a cruise ship. Bermuda has tricky roads with no shoulders.

 

 

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Edited July 18, 2016 by Charles4515

[iheartbda]

I wouldn't rent one either. Spent three weeks in England and still didn't feel comfortable driving on the left. A right hand turn is like our left hand turn that you need to go way out and around. Too easy to forget and roundabouts can be confusing if you don't know who has the right of way.

 

Everyone in Bermuda has an opinion one way or another but this is what our friend there says, "I don't think we'll see the rental cars here. Too much of a public outcry already, so there would be strikes by the unions if it did happen. Unfortunately, the taxis charge way too much, so I'm sure that is part of the reason for trying to introduce another form of transport to the island".