Transport Minister Dr. Ewart Brown said proposals to introduce a computerised taxi dispatching system had received massive support from the public - despite strong opposition from cab drivers.

He told the House of Assembly on Friday that his aim was to provide Bermuda with a first class taxi system, but said changes needed to be made if that was to happen.

His statement came just two days after hundreds of taxi drivers held a meeting to rally support against the dispatching system, as well as new measures proposed in the Transportation Management Plan, which could impact on their business.

After the meeting the drivers demonstrated outside Cabinet Building and urged Premier Jennifer Smith to axe Dr. Brown from the transport job.

But Dr. Brown said on Friday he believed the dispatching system was the way to go.

“Our overall objective is simple and clear: to provide the public with prompt and courteous taxi service,” he said.

“Our motivation in proposing the plan is even clearer: to answer the outcry of the public.”

He said Government commissioned a survey of 405 residents in order to assess how residents felt about the proposal to provide a dispatch system.

“The results indicated that almost seven in ten of those responding either strongly support or generally support the concept that taxi operators and drivers should be connected to a computerised dispatching system, while only two in ten were strongly opposed or generally opposed to the idea,” Dr. Brown added.

“This indicates strong public support for our proposal to develop a computerised dispatching system and require taxi owners and operators to participate, and further illustrates that our proposal is a good one for Bermuda and for our taxi industry.”

The Minister said current legislation governing the taxi industry required that each taxi be equipped with a two-way radio, and that each taxi subscribe to the taxi dispatching service of its choice.

“That legislation will not change,” he said.

“Taxis will still have to have a radio and will still subscribe to a taxi dispatching company of their choice.

“Our proposal is to simply modernise the current legislation in keeping with technological advances.

“The technology used to dispatch taxis today has advanced to a level that allows huge improvements over the old radio dispatching system.”

Under the new proposals, taxi operators will be expected to be equipped with a two-way radio, a mobile data terminal, a global positioning device and a panic button, at a cost of about $2,000.

The two-way radio will allow voice contact, as it currently does. The mobile data terminal will provide a screen in each taxi with specific useful information about the prospective passenger, and the global positioning device will allow the nearest, and only the nearest, taxi to be offered the first choice to take the fare.

The security button will allow drivers to alert the Police and fellow drivers to an emergency or crisis situation.

But spokesman for the Bermuda Taxi Owners' Association Lee Tucker said Dr. Brown was not fully informing the public about the impact of the new system.

And he said residents should not have been surveyed about the dispatch system without being given the full details of what was involved. Mr. Tucker said: “The public is not aware of what is happening, what is involved and the additional expense this dispatch system will create.The survey makes no sense.

“This system is going to cost each owner about $2,000, and that money will have to come from somewhere. Whether we buy the equipment, or rent it from Government, taxi drivers will have to get their money back from somewhere. Passenger fares could well have to be increased. Were members of the public told that?

“Taxi drivers are already working extremely long hours in order to make a living. This is another expense we cannot handle. I don't even know if the dispatch system is going to improve the service. There is no proof to say that it will.” And he said the association was hoping to meet with Premier Jennifer Smith in the coming weeks to discuss the dispatch system, and the financing of it.

He said the association was likely to make suggestions to the Premier that Government either totally pay for the system, or assist drivers with the cost. He said: “We will be suggesting that subsidies be made available. One of the things we may suggest is a fuel rebate, or other types of financial help.

“They can't impose a new system on you and then demand that you pay $2,000 for it. We don't even know what will happen to those drivers who do not pay. All of this needs to be discussed.”

Dr. Brown said taxi dispatching companies will be required to have the equipment necessary to dispatch taxis using computers and to utilise the mobile data terminals, global positioning equipment and panic buttons installed. “Contrary to some public misinformation, our proposal does not limit the number of dispatch companies utilising this technology. Taxis may align with or subscribe to the dispatch service of their choice, as is currently the case.”