After ten days of protest, most taxi drivers went back to work last night, despite the controversial bill making global positioning systems (GPS) mandatory in their vehicles passing in the House of Assembly yesterday.

Drivers? spokesperson Lee Tucker confirmed that drivers resumed work following the conclusion of yesterday?s GPS debate in the House of Assembly.

?We?ll be working according to the rule, but we?re not happy with the outcome,? he told The Royal Gazette.

He said a true picture of the industry was not given in the House last night, and took issue with the accusations of poor service.

Mr. Tucker declined to discuss the drivers? next step, saying only they were planning to look to the Senate for help and had ?certain strategies? in mind.

Drivers made a last-ditch effort to protest the bill by marching on Parliament in the morning yesterday despite heavy rains.

But taxi drivers have been feeling the financial pinch of the protest at the height of the tourism season.

While their placards may have been soggy, nearly 100 drivers stood firm in spirit as they marched to see the Premier and Transport Minister Ewart Brown.

Marching with them were several members of the public, including some children and one elderly lady, Jean Howes. Mrs. Howes, the mother of one taxi operator, is blind but she marched from Bernard Park with her seeing-eye dog.

The taxi drivers gave her three cheers on the steps of the House of Assembly before moving into a chorus of ?We Shall Not Be Moved?.

Calling for the Sergeant-at-Arms to bring out Premier Alex Scott and Dr. Brown, the taxi drivers were disappointed when they refused to come out ? but jubilant when Shadow Transport Minister Jamahl Simmons appeared on the steps.

Hugging several of the drivers in turn, Mr. Simmons huddled with some for a while before disappearing back inside and returning with Opposition leader Grant Gibbons.

?I think it?s quite extraordinary that a Labour government is in the position of ramming this down people?s throats,? Dr. Gibbons told the crowd. ?Mediation only makes sense at this time.?

Adding Government was pushing the legislation through at the height of the tourism season, a time when ?everyone needs to work together?, Dr. Gibbons said: ?Our position is clear ? we think it should be optional.?

Though legislators in the House of Assembly passed a GPS bill in 2002, it was later defeated in the Senate, meaning that it could not be brought before the House again for one year.

Applauding taxi operators on their willingness to stand firm, Dr. Gibbons repeated his call for third-party intervention. Mediation is needed to give everyone time to cool off and take a more sensible approach, he said. Drivers gave him the same three cheers they gave Mrs. Howes.

?You have to talk to the back benches (of Government),? Mr. Simmons told the protesters. ?You have our guys 100 percent.

?But we cannot win this without some of Government.?

Despite a long debate, however, the bill passed the House and will now move on for consideration in the Senate.

After the legislation passed Parliament, Dr. Brown said he was cautiously optimistic it would be successful in the Senate.

If it does, it will come into effect in January and drivers will then have six months to get their cabs fitted with GPS equipment.

For more on the GPS debate, see Page 2