Police are investigating a possible arson after a taxi driver woke up in the early hours of yesterday morning to find his taxi ablaze outside his King Street residence.

Fire Service officials are estimating a total of $15,000 damage was done to the vehicle, a white Mitsubishi van driven by Vincent Simons, a first cousin of Transport Minister Dr. Ewart Brown.

Around 3.40 a.m. yesterday a neighbour across from Mr. Simons? home awoke to find the taxi ablaze.

Five firefighters and two vehicles rushed to the scene to extinguish the flames. It took firefighters more than 20 minutes and 100 gallons of water to put out the fire, a spokesperson told yesterday. There was no one inside the taxi at the time and no one was injured.

A Government spokesperson said of the incident last night: ?Such incidents of intimidation are foreign to our democracy and are un-Bermudian.?

But as the taxi protest action stretched into its second week, drivers who are working despite the ongoing anti-GPS protests reported receiving verbal threats and taunts from drivers who are involved in the dispute.

Mr. Simons, 74, told he has been the victim of taunts along the lines of ?you?re Dr. Brown?s pimp? as he picked up passengers at the Airport over the weekend.

As a freelancer who drives a taxi to support himself in his retirement, Mr. Simons said the situation has been stressful but it will not deter him from driving in the future. Although he is not in favour of the GPS technology, he decided to stay in business last Tuesday when the protests broke out.

?The only thing that was left was the four wheels,? he said yesterday as he surveyed the broken glass and smoke markings on the road where the torched taxi was parked.

The metal remains of the seats were left inside of the cab. Wires hung from the ceiling and shattered glass from the blown-out windows and tail lights littered the street. Electricity was cut off in the area while Bermuda Telephone Company personnel repaired the lines.

Bermuda Taxi Operators Association spokesman Lee Tucker denied any involvement from angry taxi drivers participating in anti-GPS strike action. ?We are not aware of what went on and we don?t condone violence of any sort,? said Mr. Tucker.

?We have been very peaceful demonstrators and we are not opposing any drivers who are still in business.?

Mr. Tucker again apologised for the inconvenience to tourists and locals who depend on taxis.

?We are not out to hurt the public or interfere any way with public transport,? he said.

Police are appealing for any witnesses or anyone with information to contact the Hamilton Criminal Investigation Unit.