Livery cycle companies in Bermuda are hoping to meet with Police over plans to install speed cameras around the Island - which could see a number of tourists receiving fixed penalty fines.

The four rental companies are meeting next week and plan to discuss the ramifications of the cameras and are then hoping to have the issues addressed by Police before any regulations are introduced next year.

In the current situation, tourists are generally not fined for speeding, but are instead pulled over by officers and given a friendly warning.

And it is the unofficial rule, although not always the case, that only vehicles travelling at more than 50 kilometres per hour will be pulled over for speeding.

However, if and when the cameras are installed in the coming year, a number of unsuspecting tourists could be caught for riding too fast.

And, as the cycles are registered with the rental companies, as opposed to the people who ride them, the firms could be the ones receiving the fines and left with the headache of sorting them out.

But much will depend on what speed the cameras are set at, and whether or not the public and rental companies will be told prior to their installation.

Geoffrey Gibbons, general manager of Oleander Cycles, said he was very pleased to hear that speed cameras were to be fitted on some of Bermuda's roads, especially to help safeguard tourists.

He said he regularly received complaints from holidaymakers about inconsiderate local drivers and the speed at which they travelled.

However he said problems could arise if tourists are clocked travelling at speeds above the level acceptable to the cameras and he said the rental companies should not be liable.

And he said although he believed that tourists should face the same punishments as locals, he was concerned that many will have returned home by the time the fixed penalties are sent out.

Mr. Gibbons said: “We have not been in touch with the Police in reference to this yet, but I think this needs to be addressed. We really need to know whether the speeding tickets are to be sent here.

“I would not want to be sending on speeding tickets to people at home. It would be very cumbersome. My concern is that it's going to be a paper trail. They are going to be sending the tickets out after the fact. I think this is going to require some thought and consultation.”

MPs agreed last week on the idea of portable speed cameras around the Island. It is proposed that vehicles found to be breaking the limit up to speeds of 62 kilometres per hour will have their number plates taken by the cameras and the owners will receive a fixed penalty fine. However, if they fail to pay it within the specified 21 days, or travel faster than 62 kilometres per hour, they will be required to attend court.

Michael Smatt, of Smatt's Cycle Livery, said he too was in favour of cameras, but accepted that it could be an issue.

However, he said tourists were not his big concern, as he believed they travelled slowly anyway, but he said it could cause problems if locals or non-Bermudian contract workers rented bikes, as they rode faster.

He said: “It's a valid point, and I think it needs looking at, but I don't think it will be a big problem for tourists. There needs to be some consultation, though

“I think Bermuda needs to define what the limit is going to be and then people can follow it. The speed limit, I suppose, is 35 kilometres per hour so the cameras should be set at that.”

But Shadow Transport Minister Gary Pitman said the issue could be solved if the Police were to inform the rental firms what speed the cameras were to be set at.

He said: “I think the key is going to be in the regulations. I think the Police should release to the whole Island what the cameras will be set at, and then the livery companies can set their machines accordingly.

“I know some rental bikes are already set to do no more than 50 kilometres per hour, but maybe they could all be set so tourists are not caught speeding.” But Mr. Pitman also said some thought had to be given to the speed the cameras would be set at.

He said: “We would be kidding ourselves if we thought everyone would travel at the current speed limit of 20 miles per hour. And there would be congestion everywhere.

“Maybe the speed limits themselves should be looked at. I personally think the cameras should be set at the equivalent of 30 miles per hour, and maybe the speed limits, too. It would be a joke to have the cameras set at a speed above the speed limit.”

David Panchaud, of Wheels Group, said most of his bikes were already set with limitations of 50 kilometres per hour, and said the crux of the issue depended on what speed the cameras would be set on.

He added: “It may be that they will send the tickets to me, but all we would have is the address of the hotel where they stayed. I could then forward it on to the hotel, in the hope that they have their home address.

“I think we will have to take some advice on it. It will be worth talking to Police about it to see if they have any suggestions for us. We always work closely with Police, and I am sure we will again.”