Cabinet, The Royal Gazette profiles the Hon. Wayne Furbert whose Transport portfolio includes the management of the Airport.

Air conditioned buses, upward mobility for Bermudians at the Airport and a more streamlined and efficient taxi service will be key priorities in the Ministry of Transport if new Minister the Hon. Wayne Furbert has his way.

Fresh from a trip to Canada where he met with the Vancouver Airport Authority -- it manages the Bermuda International Airport -- Mr. Furbert said he is optimistic about the future of the Airport, which has been operated by Bermuda since June 1.

Dressed in a white shirt, off yellow tie, light blue Bermuda shorts and navy blue socks, the former Community Affairs Minister was interviewed in his new office at a desk already littered with memos, letters and the Motor Vehicles Act.

From his chair there is a huge window that looks out over the northern end of Hamilton. Government House sits aloft Langton Hill. Marsh Folly and the former Pembroke dump occupy the eastern end along with rows of pink, blue and peach homes.

Directly below the office is a parking lot and in front of it, cars and motorcycles stop and go at the junction of Court and Victoria Streets as traffic lights change from red to amber to green.

The latter scene is a forcible reminder of the responsibility of a Ministry which oversees everything from parking to vehicle registration and airplanes.

And no-one knows that responsibility better than the new Minister.

Although his chair reclines, Mr. Furbert chooses to lean forward over his desk and from the occasional furrow in his brow and the lines around his eyes as he seeks to find the correct words to answer a reporter's questions, it is clear he wants to get it right from the beginning.

Mr. Furbert is the picture of gentility. He has large hands and when he speaks they help to shape his words and organise his thoughts.

"I'm off and running,'' he declares. "As soon as I became the new Minister for Transport (and Aviation Affairs) I began to think of a vision for my Ministry.

"It's totally different from Community and Cultural Affairs which was a very social Ministry complete with functions.

"I particularly enjoyed all the senior citizens I met and I will miss that because I learned a lot about our history from them.

"But my new job will see me shift from social events to administration and that is not hard because I am a certified public accountant by profession.'' Mr. Furbert said the Airport will form a major pillar in his Ministry's work because it is expensive to run, but he is currently looking at ways to make the operation more efficient.

"We have never collected fees from airlines before and we may consider that.

We are also reviewing the long term parking set up.

"We've had it good for a long time. Now users (of long term parking) may be asked to pay for the service.'' Mr. Furbert said he planned to find a way to make the Airport more pleasant for visitors and locals.

"I want to make it come alive, with retail stores and eating places,'' he continued. "All these features can be money earners and will improve what is already there.'' Mr. Furbert said he was examining drawings of the airport's layout to see if it can be made more people-friendly.

During his time with the VAA last week, Mr. Furbert discussed the entire management and operations scheme that they have set up for the Bermuda International Airport.

"We talked about operations, property usage and possibilities for future expansion should that become necessary.

"We are looking at the hangar, and the property where the Navy was located as sites for possible expansion,'' he said.

"My major concern however, is the upward mobility of Bermudians at the Airport. There are a number of local understudies there now and there is a great opportunity for Bermudians to move up.'' Turning to Transport issues, Mr. Furbert said he had already met with representatives of the taxi industry because it needs effective administration.

"I listened to their concerns and problems. I view each of our taxi divers (which number about 600 strong) as small businesses. We need to get them better organised.

"Drivers were also concerned about minibuses and we have put a moratorium on them. They only operate in Somerset, St. George's and Hamilton but that is all.

"If we are going to enhance the peace, prosperity and welfare of our people, then taxi drivers must also be made to feel a part of our success.'' Mr. Furbert said he may bring the controversial Drinkwater report -- which examined the entire taxi industry and was finished in 1994 -- to the House of Assembly to see what Parliamentarians think of the present state of the industry.

He said he also wanted to get new buses that are air conditioned so that commuters can enjoy the ride in comfort.

"People have air conditioned cars now,'' he added. "If buses are also air conditioned, then I hope this will encourage people to use them and cut down on the number of cars on the roads.'' Ultimately, Mr. Furbert admits, traffic will occupy as much of his time as the Airport does and he expects the challenge to be as difficult because of the status cars and motorcycles attract. Along with the comfort and status however, comes noise, smoke and congestion of the roads.

How does the new Minister plan to deal with this? "The community has to tell me what it wants. Either they are willing to put up with the irritation that comes with having more cars and motorcycles on the road or they are willing to incur some limits.

"All I want to do as Minister is to improve our community's transportation experience. You will not find people up in arms with the decisions I make because I am here as a servant who implements the people's policy.

"That is perhaps the best way to enhance the peace, prosperity and welfare of our community. It just makes sense.''