Transport Minister Dr. Ewart Brown has relaxed rules on larger taxis to boost capacity for luggage and provide more wheelchair-friendly vehicles.

But campaigner Willard Fox said he will boycott the taxis in frustration over inaction against drivers who snub the disabled.

Previously the numbers of the largest taxis had been limited to around 80 equipped with wheelchair access.

But yesterday Dr. Brown announced any taxi driver could now import the 200 inch by 75 inch vehicles which feature greatly improved wheelchair access.

Joe L Brown, president of the Bermuda Taxi Federation, said the current design was awkward because drivers had to get the ramp from the back spent several minutes attaching it and then do the same procedure at the end of the journey - a process which could take up to 14 minutes for older drivers.

He said: "With the new design drivers won't mind picking up people in wheelchairs because access is no problem. It will take two minutes at the most."

Dr. Brown said the new central dispatch system, which is set to go to Cabinet this month, would help the physically challenged get taxis.

The system uses global positioning (GPS) technology to assign the nearest taxi to a job but has had opposition from some drivers.

But Dr. Brown cited strong public support evident in a Bermuda Omnibus Survey which found that seven in seven of the 405 residents surveyed favoured the central dispatching system with only two out of ten opposed.

The Minister said once passed by Parliament, taxis would be forced to have the GPS system, with enforcement done by Traffic Control Officers, although he admitted there was no enforcement over radios which have been mandatory in cabs since the 1950s.

Campaigner Mr. Fox agreed the GPS system would help identify cab drivers who ignored the disabled.

But he boycotted yesterday's press conference outside Cabinet in frustration at Government inaction over bringing cab drivers to book over the issue.

He said: "It's no good having more taxis if the law doesn't enforce that they must drive us. They refuse to drive us. All this is nonsense.

"I have been fighting this case for the last two or three years."

He said disabled visitors were put off by lack of wheelchair access. "There's one or two that drive us but they can't cover the whole Island. We are looking forward to the Minister doing something soon. I have been down to TCD ( Transport Control Department) seven times in the last six years complaining.

"The board doesn't enforce it. I am boycotting all accessible taxis until they decide to change their policy and drive everybody and anybody."

TCD director Kevin Monkman said drivers had to accept fares. He said complaints against drivers were acted upon with cases referred to the Public Service Licensing Board who could withdraw a licence.

He said disabled people should ask for the taxi number so they could then pass on information if the driver then refused to drive them.