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Little electric cars could become legal on Prudence Island 01:00 AM EST on Sunday, February 6, 2005 Prudence Island, with its isolated community in the middle of Narragansett Bay, may become the first place in Rhode Island where it is legal to drive small electric vehicles on the road. Islanders have requested authorization to operate the vehicles, because there are no gas stations on the island and the small, four-passenger vehicles now being marketed to retirement communities and other restricted locations would provide all the transportation needed for the island's narrow roads. State Rep. Raymond E. Gallison Jr., D-Bristol, said he and other local legislators have been asked by the Prudence Island Planning Commission and the Portsmouth Town Council to submit the legislation. Prudence Island is part of Portsmouth. Last week, Gallison and Rep. Amy G. Rice, D-Portsmouth, discussed their legislation with the House Corporations Committee. The reaction was generally favorable, as long as the electric cars are limited to Prudence. "This would help people on the island and the environment," Gallison said. Rice pointed out that Prudence Island is not like any place else in Rhode Island. The population is little more than 100 in the winter and soars to a few thousand in the summer. "Block Island is almost Manhattan in comparison to Prudence Island," Rice said. "I think there's only one paved road, but you wouldn't think it was paved to travel on it. There's one police officer. One store, and it's not a supermarket. It's different out there. The police chief does not have a problem with this. People are already doing it." John DiTomasso, assistant administrator of the Division of Motor Vehicles, said he went to the hearing to oppose the legislation, because Gallison's bill would have authorized the vehicles statewide. But when Gallison said he would limit the authorization to Prudence Island, DiTomasso said he would have no objections. DiTomasso said the legislators might exempt the cars from registration because they only go up to 25 mph. He added: "If we register them, we'd have to inspect them, and we have absolutely no criteria for doing that." Committee Chairman Brian Patrick Kennedy pointed out with a laugh that if the vehicles were registered with special plates, that would trigger a whole new series of problems in a state where people covet special license plates. Gallison said he's considering an amendment to the bill that would limit use of the vehicles to the daytime and set an age limit for drivers. **Provided By The Providence Journal Bulletin |
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