Transport Minister Ewart Brown is confident taxi operators can cope with the influx of new flights coming this summer.

Taxi drivers, however, are not so sure.

Government has secured 122 flights a week ? up from 99 last summer.

Last year passengers queued in vain for cabs at the Airport, hotels and cruise terminals.

Dr. Brown said: ?I think they are ready for it. Every taxi operator I talked to is ready for more business and looking forward to a great summer.?

Bermuda Taxi Operators Association president Gordon Flood said the Island would have to ?wait and see? if the cabbies could cope.

He said: ?It all depends on when they come and how many people.?

Cabbies were looking forward to a good summer, said Mr. Flood. ?We have had some lean years.?

He said there had been no dialogue with Government or the hotel industry on capacity this summer. Asked if he would like to have talks, he said: ?Don?t matter.?

The Transport Ministry has contingency plans in place to run extra transport if taxi drivers are not able to cope. Last year they put on buses and mini-buses.

But Dr. Brown said: ?I don?t even want to talk about that but, if we have to, we will.?

Mr. Flood said Government will run the extra buses anyhow.

Fairmont Hamilton Princess general manager Paul Tormey, who is also chairman of the Bermuda Alliance for Tourism marketing committee, said there concerns about capacity within the taxi industry after problems last year.

He said: ?Transport was stretched, we want to make sure that stretch is predicted.

?We want to make sure everyone is aware and we don?t experience difficulties in planning for the busy season.?

He said the season was shaping up to be the best the Island had seen for at least five years.

Extra flights include new routes from Philadelphia, Baltimore, Chicago and Orlando.

?There?s a tremendous amount of airlift,? said Mr. Tormey.