Yesterday's Senate vote to reject mandatory Global Positioning System equipment for the second time in two years must send a message to Government to rethink its policy.

Clearly, Government's aggressive and expensive campaigning in the last few months failed to convince the three Independent Senators that GPS is the only way to improve taxi service, and Senate President Alf Oughton's call for a facilitator to be appointed to improve relations between Government and the industry is one that should be heeded.

These kinds of votes demonstrate the importance and value of the upper house, where the Independent Senators can band together to prevent a Government from exercising its majority when that may not be the best way forward.

Having said that, this vote was more of a surprise than the vote in 2002, and the taxi drivers should not assume that because they have won again that this is the end of the matter.

It would appear that the majority of the public are dissatisfied with the level of service provided by the industry and it is up to the taxi drivers to come together to find ways to improve service.

Indeed, if the drivers were as good at providing the service as they are at lobbying politicians, there would be no need for GPS at all.

But the truth is that's not the case and the time for excuses is over. The industry needs to police itself far better to ensure that if a member of the public needs a taxi, they will get one in a timely manner.

With approximately one taxi for every 100 people on the Island, this should be easily attainable.

But Government too deserves some of the blame. It must be clear now that they have lost the trust of the drivers and its efforts to use a carrot and stick on this issue have been clumsy and foolish.

Tying increases in fares which have now been frozen for seven years to GPS was a major miscalculation and it would be cruel if the drivers did not now get some kind of increase. If any other industry in Bermuda had seen its income frozen for that long, the Island would have experienced a general strike years ago.

On that note, it is a shame that the Government did not listen more carefully to its most experienced labour member, retired Bermuda Industrial Union president Ottiwell Simmons, who abstained from the House of Assembly vote. And if the Government genuinely wants a mediator, it need no look no further than to its own Whip for help.

The Government can take other steps. It can make radios mandatory in taxis once again ? a measure foolishly dropped by the United Bermuda Party ? as a cheaper alternative to GPS.It can proceed with its ideas for expanded limousine services from the airport, which would ease the necessity of having dozens, if not hundreds of cabs lined up there every lunch time. And of course, GPS can still be taken up by those who want it.

There are other ideas too ? including, no doubt, some from the taxi drivers and owners themselves ? that could be implemented and would help the Government achieve its worthy goal of improving service.

But the current policy of trying to bludgeon several hundred independent-minded small business owners into submission simply is not working.