Two businessmen have launched a bid to bring three-wheeled scooters to Bermuda for visitor tours of the Island.

Young entrepreneurs TJ Clark and Justin Robinson said the scooters would be used for west to east tours, capitalising on the 300,000 cruise ship visitors who arrive at Dockyard every year.

Mr Robinson, 30, who works in international business, said the ScootCoupe tours would be “a new and exciting option” to see the entire Island in four hours.

He added: “We’ll help visitors experience tourism hubs along the way and partner specifically with businesses in St George’s to encourage customers to experience what the east end has to offer.”

The two-seater ScootCoupes — already used in Las Vegas, St Maarten and Florida — provide two side-by-side seats in the topless three-wheeled vehicles, with two wheels at the front and one at the back.

Mr Clark, 31, who has a background in banking, said: “ScootCoupe is for those who have an affinity for adventure and the outdoors, similar to a jet ski tour except this is on land instead of the water.

“It will allow the visitor to experience the sights, sounds and smells of Bermuda in a way not currently available.”

The duo, however, still have to get approval from the Department of Transport to use the vehicles on Bermuda’s roads and — at present — they will only be allowed to be used as part of a guided tour.

If approved, occupants of the ScootCoupes will be required to wear both helmets and seat belts.

But the businessman said they believed they had the business plan, financing and legal advice needed to get the venture off the drawing board.

And they said the proposed new attraction would complement existing tour services like buses, taxis and minibus services out of Dockyard.

Funding includes a guarantee of $30,000 interest-free loan from the Bermuda Tourism Authority (BTA), conditional on the new company’s ability to negotiate all the obstacles on the road to a launch.

The BTA’s Pat Phillip-Fairn said the application for funding was made under the authority’s Tourism Experiences drive, which offers backing to bright ideas to boost the Island’s attractiveness.

She added: “ScootCoupe Bermuda provides a method to stimulate higher on-Island spending from cruise ship passengers.

“It also provides an innovative way to get cruise ship passengers to St George — where we are working with stakeholders to increase visitor foot traffic.”

The BTA this year earmarked more than $813,000 to help fund 41 new tourism-related businesses, including four interest-free loans.

Information on how to apply for Tourism Experiences grants for next year can be found at www.gotobermuda.com.