THE Bermuda Taxi Association (BTA) yesterday expressed a wait-and-see attitude following the passage of a bill allowing full-time limousines on the island.

BTA president Michael Ray said his members were not surprised that senators had passed the Motor Car Amendment (No. 2) Act, but they remained convinced that it wasn't necessary.

"The Bermuda Taxi Association was not in favour of the limousine law. We didn't see the reasoning behind it. We spoke with some of the senators and expressed our concerns, but obviously the bill has passed.

"As far as going forward, we'll wait and see what happens. I don't know if the numbers are there, I don't know how many owners will switch their taxi permits for limousine permits. I heard the Minister throw out a number, that ten taxi drivers are interested in exchanging their permits. That's a far cry from 50, or even 100. Basically, we'll wait and see."

The Act allows for up 100 limousine licences, the first 50 of which will be offered to taxi drivers wishing to swap their current permit for the privilege. Like taxis, limousines will be required to be fitted with GPS and linked with a central dispatching unit.

Government argued the Act was necessary to prevent a now-common practice, where some drivers cater to ordinary fares, but also provide off-meter passage to corporate clients. And Transport and Tourism Minister Ewart Brown insisted the high-end service important to a destination such as ours, that advertises a luxury travel experience to visitors.

Drivers had planned to protest at the House of Parliament as the bill was debated there earlier this month, but their efforts were hampered by heavy rains which led to a huge demand for service. Part of their objection to the then-proposed Act, was that it would take money away from the already struggling taxi industry.

Asked yesterday whether he felt that the Senate outcome might have been different had the rally not been abandoned, Mr. Ray said no.

"We knew it was no use," he said. "Government had the votes because they are the majority in the House. I heard Senator (Walwyn) Hughes talking about the vote and he said he was against the bill but he still voted yes. I don't understand that.

"Had we protested that week ? we were extra busy. Last week, we had the Newport-Bermuda Race. We had to take that into consideration. The last thing the island wants is a go-slow with so many tourists."

He said it was now time for the industry to work together to provide a superior service.

"I appeal to taxi owners and drivers. We need to step up. We have to protect our industry. We have to do everything in our power.

"The fact of the matter is the ball is in the taxi owner/drivers' court. If we are taking care of business, then there's no need for other forms of transportation. If we are neglecting our responsibilities for transportation, obviously the powers that be will address those issues that come forward."

Mr. Ray said the fact that some taxis were already operating as limousines should not be a problem to anybody.

"I know of at least 20 or 30 taxis that, on a regular basis, are engaged as private taxis. There's nothing wrong with that. First and foremost, the taxi driver is an entrepreneur. We have to take care of our financial needs and we have to be creative."

He said that being "creative" sometimes meant not using the meter for pre-arranged fares.

"The easy way around it is to give a flat rate we agree on and put the meter on," he explained.

"The bill actually states that there can be up to 100 limousines and that limousines have to have GPS and be linked to a dispatching service. Why if they're only offering pre-arranged transport? It makes me wonder."

The BTA president reiterated a call for a Taxi Commission, saying it was the only way to effectively deal with those issues which affected the industry.

"We don't know the impact the limousines will have but we need to take care of all the issues before us," he said. "We need help from Government. Taxis are supposed to be on the road 16 hours a day ? we need to get second and third drivers' insurance.

"The rest of the public gets a cost of living increase every year ? we had an increase in 2004. The one before that was in 1977. Those are only a couple of reasons why we've called for a Taxi Commission, to look at some of the issues at hand.

"There are a lot of issues that we need to deal with but there's nothing we can do because we are regulated by Government."