If elected, the United Bermuda Party will create a Taxi Commission to increase consultation between Government, taxi owners and drivers, the hospitality industry and the wider community, according to Shadow Transport Minister Jamahl Simmons.

And disorganisation and a shut down in communication with Government left hundreds of concert goers struggling to find taxis at the Music Festival according to Bermuda Taxi Operators Association spokesman Lee Tucker.

Speaking to after the weekend Bermuda Music Festival Mr. Tucker said taxis could not get into the main thoroughfare to pick up people in need of transportation. Mr. Tucker said taxi operators were outraged at the chaotic traffic build-up and even more outraged that Transport Minister Dr. Ewart Brown called for them to buck up and provide proper service. He asked for Dr. Brown to apologise for his statements as taxi drivers are among the first to greet visitors to the Island and are Bermuda?s best ?salesmen?.

Mr. Tucker said the event could have been improved if Transport and the BTOA met before the Music Festival and made arrangements on how to facilitate better service. He estimates a couple of hundred people were left scrambling to find a taxi on Friday and Saturday night.

?This is one of the most disorganised transport events to take place in a long time,? he said. ?There was no specific information on where to pick people up and what time the events would be over. There was complete chaos as taxis could not fight the traffic to get into the area where people were waiting.?

His recommendation for future events is to have a shuttle bus to bring passengers to a pre-arranged taxi pick up spot so taxis do not have to fight other drivers to pick up passengers.

One cabbie told Mr. Tucker that it took him up to 45 minutes to drive a half mile and many turned back because it was too disorganised. ?It?s wrong to say we left people stranded. Many got around with a bus or a ferry but others wanted to leave early and were looking for a taxi. Taxi operators were not told where to park on the road to avoid the traffic.?

Mr. Tucker called for a sit down meeting with the Ministry of Transport. ?We want to assist them but we need better communication,? he said. ?We need to iron our problems out or there is no way for us to move forward.?

Mr. Simmons also asked why Dr. Brown has ?repeatedly failed? to use the services of Gary Phillips, the man named as a facilitator in the ongoing dispute between the Island?s taxi operators and the Ministry of Transport.

Mr. Simmons spoke out yesterday following what he termed a ?vitriolic attack? by Dr. Brown on taxi drivers who did not provide service for visitors attending the Bermuda Music Festival. Mr. Simmons characterised the ultimatum as ?disheartening?. ?Every Bermudian recognises that improving the level of customer service provided by the taxi industry is a priority,? he said.

?Unfortunately, over the past six years Minister Brown?s approach to improving customer service has been to attack, intimidate and demean the integrity of our taxi drivers, waging what appears to be a personal war through the media.?

Mr. Simmons said if elected a UBP government would form a Taxi Commission to monitor dispatching, fare structures and improve customer service.

Over 7,000 tickets were said to be sold for the event.