We’ve been here before.

“CCTV cameras are extremely good, and capable of being connected to the little electronic tracking devices in cars.”

Interesting.  It sounds like he is saying that the new cameras are linked into the Electronic Vehicle Registration (EVR) system installed by TCD a few years ago.

If so, this is a significant “mission creep” for that system which was claimed existed solely to enforce vehicle licensing laws:

“Designed to operate while maintaining privacy and anonymity of Bermuda citizens, no personal data will be maintained on the secure encrypted tags nor will the system track or store individual vehicle traffic patterns or history. The system identifies only vehicles not drivers and retains only photo images of non-compliant vehicles. This system represents a fair, unbiased method to enforce current transportation regulations. The EVR system maximizes TCD’s ability to process violations, collect associated fees, and fund and maintain roadway infrastructure.”

The EVR law passed in 2007 deals only with this limited use of the technology – it does not deal with larger surveillance tasks.  In addition, Bermuda does not have a meaningful privacy laws to establish individuals’ rights in this area.

I predicted this “mission creep” last year:

I feel that in a “nation of laws” Government must be clear about how efforts like this are authorised, how they will be used, what constraints exist on their use, and who is funding/operating them.  Otherwise, the exercise starts to smack of “big brother” intrusiveness.  In short, Government must make its policies and practices known.

The root of the fuss:  the official bus schedules have not been updated since 1998.  That’s not to say that the actual bus schedules are still the same; indeed there’s a whole “grey schedule” of routes leading to significant overtime opportunities for the drivers.  A revamped official schedule will make much of that overtime go away (among other issues) … hence the Union resistance.

This is no way to run a business.  One gets the feeling that the system is run for the convenience of the Union rather than for the general public and tourists who depend on it.

Coincidentally, Dr. Ewart Brown was Minister of Transport from 1998 until he retired, dropping the brewing problems in Terry Lister’s lap.  In my opinion, it must have been far more fun to spend bill-y-onions of dollars than to make sure they were being spent carefully.

Thus, they are cutting holes in the ferry service, broadly affecting commuters.

And today they admit that they are dropping up to 21 bus routes daily, on a constantly shifting basis, due to maintenance issues with the fleet as well as high sick out rates amongst drivers.

I think it goes without saying that a regularly scheduled public transportation system that is neither regular nor properly scheduled will rapidly decline as an option for most users.

Every time you hear “we must do more with less” remember that Ewart Brown and Paula Cox oversaw Bermuda’s quick fall from plush to penniless.  The simple fact is that we are doing less with more money than we actually have.

This, of course, overlooks the fact that she was Minister of Finance throughout much of this mess making.

So when Minister Cox says that her solutions for Government will be based on “reform and recalibration” I cringe a little … because the Bermuda Government has not been very good at this.

Witness the new audit report (PDF) released today … where the reform and reengineering of TCD is revealed to have cost a heck of a lot more than anticipated to implement, has the predictable murk surrounding contracts and political interference, did not comply with Government’s financial instructions, and resulted in no clear savings in personnel or operating costs.

I agree that it is a lot more pleasant to get through TCD these days … but wow that’s a lot of money.

I’m not sure we can afford any more reform like that.

And indeed, there is much that can be done:  Bermuda’s roads were designed for the slow pace of horse and buggy, not fat SUVs and rocket bikes driving at 60 kph. Road widths are erratic, cambering is non-existent, paving is rough, sidewalks a rarity, and so on.

However, “technical measures” alone will not solve the problem.  In fact, at some point, the collection of countermeasures (signs, blinking lights, speed bumps, width constrictors) becomes counterproductive by increasing the distractions on the street.

Similarly, adding laws does little to stem the carnage if the laws are not marketed to the public and hammered home by the police.  Have you noticed any change in the use of cell phones while driving since the practice was banned this summer?  Nope.

The real problem is us:  we drive like idiots.  And I am afraid we adapt very quickly to “technical countermeasures”.

The other half of the solution is consistent traffic enforcement.  I know the Police are busy trying to take a bite out of crime … but they have long ago abandoned the streets.

We need a sustained enforcement action against drunk driving.  Against speeding.  Against aggressive habits at stop signs, lights, and pedestrian crossings.  That will retrain the public faster than anything about what is acceptable behaviour behind the wheel.

In the last two weeks we have had two wildcat strikes in the public transportation sector.

What’s amazing is that, as the ferry strike rolls into day two, neither party has publicly laid out the reasons for the walk out.

1. It’s tacky
2. It’s dangerous
3. I hear Ewart’s already picked out that spot for his statue “The Great Spin Doctor Prescribing Placebos for a Nation”

I assume these are being used for Police surveillance rather than TCD’s enforcement of licensing regulations.

I am not opposed to giving the Police tools to combat crime (indeed I would support the introduction of speed cameras to help calm down the raceways of Bermuda’s roads).

However, I feel that in a “nation of laws” Government must be clear about how efforts like this are authorised, how they will be used, what constraints exist on their use, and who is funding/operating them.  Otherwise, the exercise starts to smack of “big brother” intrusiveness.  In short, Government must make its policies and practices known.

Moreover, the “mission creep” of surveillance devices raises some eyebrows given the past trial balloons floated by the Minister of Transport regarding road tolls and congestion taxes.

Let me know if you spot other cameras on the roads.

Government must state clearly what these cameras are being used for, who has access to the data (in particular and in aggregate), and how long it will be stored.

The “Electronic Vehicle Registration Act 2007″ enabled their use to clamp down on people not licensing their cars properly.  I am not aware of any law authorizing them for broader surveillance.  But, this news snippet from the Sun makes me wonder if we don’t have mission creep:

In a trial run in July, two fixed CCTV cameras were used to monitor traffic flow and record vehicle numbers over the Cup Match weekend. During a press conference at the time, Police Commissioner Michael DeSilva said the trial would help police to determine the extent of their future usage. He said the cameras were a “new tool” for Bermuda but stressed they would not invade privacy as footage would only be used for “the investigation of crime”.

Let me know if you spot other surveillance equipment on the streets.

That’s on top of the projected $315 million for a new hospital and $65 million (seems very low) for a new causeway.

The Bermuda Government already has close to $1 billion in debt and operates at a significant annual deficit.

You can stop worrying about the PLP’s spending dooming the finances of your grandchildren.  At this rate, yours are doomed too.

UPDATE:  Here are some architectural illustrations of the grandiose airport proposal, also including a marina and both the causeway as well as the proposed Ewart F. Brown Bridge going from Stonecrushers Corner towards Martello Tower.  My, that’s … err… labial.

It’s been a good while since we’ve heard from Government about the results of this system … and that’s rarely a good sign.

It seems that Bermuda has two problems: the first was unregistered vehicles.  The second seems to be uninsured vehicles.  TCD verifies that insurance is in place when a vehicle license is renewed – but are they notified if that policy then lapses?  Is the EVT system smart enough to raise the alarm if an uninsured vehicle is on the street?