Taxi operators complained last night that it appeared officials were turning a blind eye to freelance “gypsy cabs” as the Government considers changes to public transport.

At a meeting held by the Bermuda Taxi Owners and Operators Association in Pembroke, drivers said they had seen private vehicles guided into taxi lines to pick up passengers.

Leo Simmons, of the BTOA, said the group had discussed the matter with the Government, but added: “My take on it is they are not going to do anything about it because they don’t want people waiting for taxis.”

Mr Simmons warned that such enterprises were illegal and could carry significant consequences for the drivers and the passengers if there is a traffic collision.

“I know a taxi driver overturned years ago and the owner of the taxi’s policy paid out almost $100,000,” he said. “What happens when an unlicensed taxi gets in a bad accident with tourists inside?”

At a meeting held on Tuesday, bus owners were told that the Government had said it intended to move forward with a White Paper, which the BTOA said would devalue taxi permits and open the door to ridesharing apps.

At the second meeting, Mr Simmons said: “They are using taxis as a scapegoat for the shortcomings of the public transportation system.

“Yesterday, there were 46 buses cancelled. If three people wanted to catch each of those buses, that is 138 people who still needed to get to their destination.

“These are the things that are effecting the industry, when you have almost 10,000 people in Dockyard, 500 or 600 people at the airport as well as locals and the hotels, and now we have to pick up the slack of public transportation.”

He added that the BTOA had discussed the challenges of getting a taxi late at night with the Government but multiple administrations had failed to introduce measures to protect taxi operators.

“We are not against change, but we want government to fix the outstanding problems that we have first,” Mr Simmons said.

“They have to understand the plight of the taxi drivers. We hear the negative comments from the public, but they have to understand the challenges, the unsocial behaviour in our cars at nights.

“It’s not just a certain segment of people, it’s anybody that is intoxicated, whether they make $50,000 a year or $150,000, we encounter bad behaviour.”

Astrid Clark, of the BTOA, said taxi drivers had heard the complaints voiced by the public about some taxi drivers and that taxi operators needed to hold each other accountable to protect the industry.

“These are the reasons why people are requesting ride sharing, why they are requesting Uber,” she said. “It has to stop.”

Ms Clark added that drivers should also not be refusing to take fares because the passenger is only travelling a short distance.

“We need to stop,” she said. “If you don’t want to drive that $7 or $8, get out of the taxi.”

Several attendees spoke out at the meeting, with several stating that their families had been in the taxi industry for multiple generations and they hoped to protect it for their children.

One operator noted that taxi rates had not increased since 2014, despite the surging cost of living on the island.

“We have been operating at a loss for nine years because everything else has gone up,” he said.