Over 100 angry, striking cab drivers took their protest over Government's plans for a mandatory Global Positioning System to the Cabinet Office and to the Causeway, yesterday.

But while the taxi drivers made a lot of noise and brought some traffic to a standstill, Government stood firm with Premier Alex Scott saying: “Our first mandate is to govern and govern we shall”.

The drivers now plan to meet at Bernard Park this morning to plot their next move, which is expected to include tying up Hamilton-bound traffic during the morning, lunchtime and evening rush hours.

The Premier, Transport Minister Dr. Ewart Brown and Labour Minister Randolph Horton attended a Press conference yesterday where the Premier laid out Government's position, and Dr. Brown outlined contingency plans put into effect.

Those plans involved expanded use of the public buses. Dr. Brown said there was no fear that bus drivers would take any sympathy action, saying that the union had agreed.

Speaking calmly amid thumping on the conference door and shouts of “Brown must go” from taxi drivers who had swarmed their way into the Cabinet building, the Premier detailed an offer he had made to the drivers personally, which was rejected.

It included that drivers would not have to pay an installation fee for the GPS equipment and would see a 20 percent increase in fares in the first year and a further five percent increase in the second year.

The Premier said it was clear that the striking drivers were not motivated by money and simply refused to move with the times and embrace new technology. He claimed that GPS is to taxis today what radios were to the cabs of old.

He said Government was duty bound to “govern at any cost” and asked: “What do you want? Good Government or a good time?”

He said Government had received complaints from Cambridge Beaches of guests missing their flights due to late taxis and from Southampton Fairmont Princess of visitors lined up for hours waiting for taxis.

Following the Press conference, taxi drivers surrounded and shouted down Dr. Brown and the Premier after the two went out to meet them on the grounds of Cabinet. The drivers had marched to Cabinet from Number One Shed and continued to chant “Brown must go!”

Toursim Minister Renee Webb decried the drivers' actions after a scheduled Press conference on E-Commerce.

“I think from our standpoint, the timing (of the strike) was not the best. This is one of the busiest weeks in the calendars with the yachts arriving,” she said, noting that Island hotels were fully booked this week. She added that this was the first time in a long time that she could make that claim.

The taxi strike action was yesterday reportedly causing disruption for several thousand sailors who are on the Island following the biennial Newport-Bermuda race.

“I am disappointed that they would take this action at this time,” she said, adding that the action was “not acceptable”.

Shadow Transport Minister Jamahl Simmons yesterday said while his party was not condoning the action that it was “understandable” in light of Government's track record with GPS. He accused Goverment of repeatedly breaking the trust of cab drivers and urged them to withdraw the legislation until a compromise can be reached.