The discussion over centralised dispatching for taxis looks set to reach conclusion after the Throne Speech alluded that it would be introduced in 2016.

The Governor, George Fergusson, announced that efforts to rebuild Bermuda’s tourism industry would heavily involve the Island’s taxi drivers, as plans to create a centralised system using modern technology were already under way.

The new system promises to benefit both driver and customer through the use of a mobile booking service that will expand payment methods and improve response times.

Leo Simmons, president of the Bermuda Taxi Owners and Operators Association, has approved the initiative and believes central dispatching will help to unite members of the industry.

“It needed to be done,” he said. “Even though we’re all taxi drivers, sometimes we can be divided over which dispatch company we subscribe to. It eliminates all of that.”

However, he maintains that there needs to be an independent group running the office.

“It needs to be done in a way where no one individual benefits,” he said. “People resist change. We have to be more willing to address change. We have to put aside our individual grievances for the betterment of the industry.”

The initiative has been met with much resistance since it was first discussed in 2002, but despite strikes and often an outright refusal to comply, it resurfaces as frequently as the technology that supports it evolves — a rate the out-of-date industry cannot match. It is now forced to adapt as it faces the threat of Uber-like car services.

Michael Ray, the president and chairman of BTA Dispatching Ltd, said he welcomed the proposal from the Ministry of Tourism Development and Transport.

“We were the first and only company to be compliant for the last nine years,” he told The Royal Gazette. “As far as digital dispatching, we have always been compliant. We’ve embraced it since 2005 when we launched and have always been supporters of new technology.”

Mr Ray added that he had plans to reveal new technology, which he believes will enhance the entire experience.

“I know the model I would like to see for a central dispatch,” he said. “I’m interested to see what they mean; how it would look.”