A long-awaited tour service has proved a hit with visitors after its launch last week.

Kevin Burrows, of Tuk Tuk Tours Bermuda, told The Royal Gazette that his “soft launch” of three tuk tuk tour vehicles was expected to grow into a fleet of eight by the end of this month.

“It’s gone pretty good. We’ve got some good reviews from a couple that were here on the cruise ships,” Mr Burrows said on Saturday.

His fleet of tuk tuks — small vehicles originally popularised in Asia — will grow to four this week after starting service in the East End, including island-wide tours.

The vehicles can carry two to four guests for a guided tour of up to several hours.

Mr Burrows said that it had been “28 months” to get into gear after legislation greenlighting guided tours fell afoul of legislators.

The Motor Car (Liveries) Act, which was drawn up to increase the types of vehicles that could be used by tour operators, was turned away from the Senate last year over concerns that the tours could intrude on national parks.

Opposition lawmakers looked askance at the vehicles amid concerns that they might cause damage to environmentally sensitive areas of the island.

In May tt was passed by the House of Assembly and in June went through the Senate — where it still faced an uphill battle over concerns that the three-wheelers might stray off paved routes.

Mr Burrows said that his tuk tuk proposal should have been exempt from the beginning.

“The concerns that were raised should not have been directed at me,” he said.

“My vehicles are not ATV vehicles. These vehicles can’t go up the trails at Hog Bay or through the Railway Trails. People had it wrong.”

But he added: “I have had conversations personally with some of the environmental people. It will not hurt the environment in any way or go into areas where vehicles are not allowed to go.”