The Island's second largest taxi firm is to go hi-tech with computer dispatching, web site bookings and eventually global positioning systems in cabs.

Co-op Taxi Transportation, which has around 100 cabs, will punch in bookings into a computer from September 1 and store the details for when callers book again.

In October a website called www.bermudataxi.bm will be set up to allow journey booking and credit card payments.

In January next year the central computer will be linked to cabs which will have mobile data terminals giving a read out of customers' address details.

The technology will allow global positioning systems (GPS) which will assign the nearest cab to the job.

Co-op taxi president Alaine Mouchette said GPS would closely follow the installation of the mobile data terminals.

She said: “That will be the final stage when all the kinks are ironed out.”

The company hope the changes will increase efficiency and make the service more user friendly.

Co-op taxi will also change its name from September 1 and trade as Island Taxi while operating under the group umbrella of The Island Call Centre.

During the recent taxi protest over Government plans to make GPS mandatory Co-op taxi drivers kept working.

The move to high tech means the vast majority of the island's 600 cabs will be working under computerised dispatching within months.

Recently Bermuda's largest cab firm, Radio Cabs who have 480 cabs, announced it was installing a computerised dispatching system to improve efficiency.

Radio Cabs owner Edward Darrell said he was investing around $35,000 on the system which will keep callers' details on file. The system is set to be ready by September 1 and can be linked with GPS if Government tries revives its bid to make it mandatory in cabs.

Asked about the new technology being installed in the two biggest cab firms Transport Minister Ewart Brown said: “I welcome it and I think it's a great thing for Bermuda.”