A women?s group has questioned claims that the weekend gang rape was an isolated incident and has said the underlying problem could be much higher.

Police are hunting four men who raped the 24-year-old English woman after picking her up outside Splash on Bermudiana Road at around 3 a.m. on Saturday.

Women?s Resource Centre counsellor Kathy Harriott said: ?What?s reported to the Police might be an isolated incident but in actual terms of what?s happening out there we don?t have the statistics.

?People who come to us might not go to the Police.?

Last year Bermuda recorded 40 sexual assaults ? up from 30 in 2003.

One woman who spoke to questioned whether a shortage of taxis had led to the woman risking it with strangers.

She said: ?I was leaving Splash at about the same time and was stuck waiting for a cab.?

She said a 20 to 30 minute wait was normal at that time.

?The should have more taxis, they don?t want people to drink and drive but people get sick of waiting.?

A shortage of taxis played a part in Rebecca Middleton ending up in the hands of killers.

The 17 year old was tortured, raped and murdered in St. George?s in 1996 after she and a friend accepted lifts from strangers when no taxi came despite three calls. On Saturday the victim, who had been working in Bermuda for just eight weeks, accepted a lift from strangers, although she believed she recognised one of the men in the car.

Last night Transport Permanent Secretary Mark Telemaque said Government was considering laying on night buses running into the small hours to counter the lack of taxi cover.

However the feasibility and cost is still being assessed and it would have to involve making sure bus shelters were properly lit.

The plan could involve minibuses doing drop offs to people?s doors to avoid people making late night treks from the bus stop to their doors.

But he stressed the plans were in their infancy and would need widespread consultation.

Bermuda Taxi Association spokesman Michael Ray said there were bound to be fewer taxis late at night because there was less work but he said there were still 30 to 50 drivers out doing the graveyard shift.

He said drivers should pick up women as priority but admitted that it was difficult to follow that code when people were impatient to get home at the end of a long night.

Police offered no updates on the gang rape yesterday while understands there has been little public response to the call for information and the taxi driver who reportedly took the victim home has not come forward.

The suspects are all black, aged 18 to 25, and were in a dark car.

Ms Harriott said: ?When when women is assaulted every woman is affected by that, we are all cautious, we are all scared.?

However she said women were more likely to know their attacker than be raped by strangers.

Witnesses should call 299-4407 or 295-1140 or the anonymous Crimestoppers hotline on 1-800-623-8477.