When the Motor Car Act of 1946 opened the gate to cars and other motorised vehicles, not everyone was happy. While some embraced the prospect of modern transportation, many feared the loss of the island’s serene character. As the legislation was being debated, a petition opposing the introduction of private cars garnered nearly 5,000 signatures, reflecting the strength of feeling.
To put this in perspective, Bermuda had tried to hold off the encroachment of cars for nearly four decades. Since 1908, private motor vehicles were banned by law, with the island’s transportation system dominated by horsepower of the four-legged kind, bicycles and a train service that started in 1931. Bermuda marketed itself to tourists as “the Isles of Rest,” offering a stark contrast to a world in which the roads were already becoming clogged with cars. Locals feared that opening the floodgates to cars would destroy the island’s unique charm and its appeal to visitors.
During the Second World War, however, the landscape began to change. The establishment of military bases brought an influx of motor vehicles, including jeeps and trucks, which were granted exemptions from the existing ban. The end of the war was a pivotal time for transportation in Bermuda. The Bermuda government bought the perennially unprofitable railway system in January 1946 and commissioned an engineer’s report, which determined it would cost the vast sum of $850,000 to bring the railway back up to a high standard. This was deemed unfeasible, and the railway eventually closed two years later.
When the Motor Car Act was tabled in March 1946, it sparked a fierce debate. William Sears Zuill, the late historian, described the nature of the public discussion in his book The Story of Bermuda and Her People: “The idea of shifting over to motor cars was regarded by many people with distaste and distrust, fear of its effect on the slowly developing post-war tourist trade, and the knowledge that the roads, thanks to military vehicles and doctors’ cars, were not as safe as they had been.
“On the other hand, Bermuda had lost many of its horses as a result of the feed shortage of 1942, and there could be no doubt that motor vehicles were more comfortable to use than pedal cycles and far more efficient and cleaner than horse-drawn vehicles.”
Legislators were mindful of the rush hours, parking problems and jammed roads being seen in the cities of neighbouring America. In March 1946, a joint committee of both legislative houses thrashed out a bill with built-in limitations — each household would be allowed to own just one car or “motor-assisted bicycle.” Despite the petition against the bill, it passed into law in April with a majority of 21 votes to 12 in the House of Assembly.
In the years following, Bermudians rapidly overcame their reluctance to embrace the internal combustion engine. Government statistics show that by 1950, there were already 7,031 motorised vehicles licensed, including 1,797 private cars, 440 taxis, 612 trucks, 45 buses and 3,667 motorbikes and scooters. By 1960, the number of vehicles on the road had soared to 18,819. And a forever-changed Bermuda could no longer claim to be an isle of rest.
