And for all motorists -- whether on two wheels or four -- driving the Island is daily becoming more of a rugged challenge.

Watching the ever-increasing traffic and keeping an eye on the growing number of traffic signs is no longer enough -- these days the Bermuda driver has to closely watch the road beneath him.

The Royal Gazette sent a reporter out to examine Bermuda's public roads last week. He was told to look for the poor road surface and dangerous road conditions.

He ignored private roads -- they are owned by the property owners on the road and are dealt with separately Government, in consultation with those property owners.

Travelling from Trinity Church Road in Hamilton Parish to the Naval Annex in Southampton, and from Spanish Point to Tucker's Town and pausing only to talk to the average motorist, the verdict of this practical examination was that the Island's roads are good by and large, but evidence of neglect is growing.

Road surfaces are fraying at the edges, and sometimes right in the middle. Pot holes, ruts and cracks that bang the front wheel and tar that seems to have been cooked are hazards that make for bumpy rides. The problem is much more noticeable for drivers of two-wheeled vehicles.

Across the board Government budget cuts have left the Ministry of Works and Engineering -- which is responsible for repairing public roads -- feeling the pinch. Over the past few years the amount allocated to keep Bermuda's roads has been dwindling with the country's finances.

In 1989-90, $5.4 million was spent on keeping our roads safe and sound. And in 1990-91 a further $5.5 million was given for highway works. But the drop started in 1991-92, and this year the Ministry will have just $5 million to spend on highway works.

Moreover, the phrase "highway works'' doesn't just mean resurfacing of roads: it covers a multitude of activities -- bus shelters, railway trail maintenance, and numerous other demands.

The reductions and the annual pace of inflation has reduced Government wherewithal to maintain roads by as much as 40 percent.

And Works Minister the Hon. Clarence Terceira doesn't see much chance for an immediate turnaround.

Not even the richest government could ever keep all the public roads as smooth as a billiard table. It is impossible to keep up with the wearing, corroding, constant pounding of rain, container trucks, buses, and tractors as the 40,000-plus vehicles in Bermuda hammer away, night and day, at what was, only 50 years ago, no more than coral path.

But bad roads are more than a nuisance. They can endanger health and lives, and leave Government vulnerable on questions of liability.

Keeping the 140 miles of public road in a state of good repair is rather like trying to sweep the sand off Elbow Beach. One portion of road is finished, another three sections are waiting to be resurfaced and the miles waiting to be tackled stretch out ahead.

Meanwhile, the inexorable decay of the first road has already started. Can anyone win in that situation? In an era of budget cuts, Dr. Terceira said he tries to take a sensible, practical approach to the whole task. "We look at the budget to see what is allowed by the Ministry of Finance; and we take public complaints into consideration.'' Mr. Marshall Minors, principal highway engineer at the Ministry, said: "We don't just wait for complaints. We do a practical survey once a year.'' And have there been cuts in the amount of road maintenance? "Oh yes,'' says Marshall. "We should do ten miles a year but we're down to 5.5 or six miles this year. '' Dr. Terceira rejects the suggestion that revenue raised from vehicle licensing should be channeled directly to road maintenance? "Locking money into a separate account is never a good idea,'' he said. "As Government's financial commitments change, the Consolidated Fund is the best way to handle all Government revenues. That allows financial flexibility.'' Mr. Minors said the Ministry of Finance is sympathetic to the Ministry. "We get our fair share in the budgets,'' he said.

But he has to accept he is limited in what he can do. "My desire is not being met, I'd like to do more.'' Dr. Terceira enunciates the Ministry's golden rule: "Whatever else, we never compromise road safety.'' WHAT WE FOUND Flatts Village: Recent roadworks that have already started to wear away, creating gouges that are a hazard to bikes.

South Road, Warwick: Worn edges to the road tarmac.

North Shore, Smith's Parish: repairs to utility roadworks -- repairs that have not lasted.

Foot of the Lane roundabout: serious wear and tear in the north-east corner of this busy junction.

Church Road at St Anne's Road: Hole large enough to buckle the largest wheel.

Ord Road, Warwick: Potholes and erosion.

Woodbourne Avenue, Pembroke: Ageing of the road surface makes for ruts in the centre of the road.

Spanish Point: bus lay-by that seems never to have been quite finished.

Spanish Point Road: patches have been layered on patches along the road.

Palmetto Road: a main road gouged by installation major conduit for underground utility lines, producing channels upon channels in the road surface.

PATCHES ON PATCHES -- The main road in Spanish Point is layered with repairs.

BOILING UP -- Tarmac at this Spanish Point bus stop is now breaking up.