A strike is ?not beyond the taxi drivers? should Transport Minister Ewart Brown push ahead with GPS as what could be Bermuda?s best tourism season in years approaches.

Compounding the issue is a fare increase which operators feel has been put on the back burner by Government. If GPS comes through, drivers feel the increase will become ?null and void? in the face of the added expense.

On Thursday, revealed that a paper pushing the controversial global positioning system was set to go to Cabinet.

A GPS bill was passed by the House of Assembly in 2002, but defeated by the Senate. Government hopes to reduce waiting times for passengers by using the system to assign the nearest cab.

Taxi drivers, however, have balked at the proposition, mostly because of the expense.

?If he (Dr. Brown) implements this, there is going to be some type of serious concerns for the travelling public,? Bermuda Taxi Owners Association (BTOA) spokesperson Lee Tucker said yesterday.

?I?m not going to quote the action they will take,? he said when asked if a strike was possible. ?But it is not beyond the taxi drivers to take that action.?

On Thursday, Shadow Transport Minister Jamahl Simmons stated: ?Despite the Minister?s provocative and inflammatory behaviour surrounding GPS, we urge Bermuda?s taxi drivers to exhaust all other avenues before taking the principled stance of downing tools.?

Mr. Tucker agreed. ?We have been trying every avenue possible since the beginning of the year.?

Mr. Tucker was reluctant to speak for the body of taxi operators on what would happen if Government were to pay for the installation and maintenance of GPS, but he said it could make a difference.

He said operators are also concerned about the benefits of GPS not to drivers or passengers, but to MPs ? specifically George Scott, whose company Advanced Tech Solutions is linked to one of the Canadian companies set to give a presentation on their product in the coming weeks, Mobile Knowledge.

Maintaining his statement that there is no guarantee GPS will improve service, Mr. Tucker said the association has looked at examples of GPS in the US and Canada which show no increase in performance, and added it is unfair to make the customer pay more for something without a guarantee of better service.

He also said taxi operators should not be penalised for taking part-time jobs to supplement their income. Many operators work construction or other jobs in the off-season, when fares slow. ?These workers only get paid if work is out here for them ... It is unfair to say we need to be monitored because we are not working.?

?The Minister?s decision to impose the divisive GPS system on Bermuda?s taxi drivers is foolish and irresponsible,? Mr. Simmons said on Thursday.

?On the brink of what is anticipated to be the best tourism season in years, Dr. Brown is provoking an unnecessary conflict with the taxi industry that could jeopardise our season.

?Quite frankly, the Minister is being derelict in his duty to protect the interests of the broader community.?

Mr. Tucker agreed. ?We had hoped it would be smooth sailing for the season,? he said yesterday. ?Instead, we are frustrated and annoyed. This could have been avoided if he had worked along with us.?

The Opposition has already pledged to vote against the bill should it be tabled in the House of Assembly once more, and are now challenging Premier Alex Scott to intervene in the conflict.

If the bill is passed, Mr. Simmons said, ?When we become Government, we will repeal it.

?As both sides seek to achieve their objectives, we call on the taxi industry and the Government to keep the best interests of the people at the forefront.?

?We are going to be very, very vigilantly opposed to it,? Mr. Tucker said. ?We feel we have been deceived and are extremely annoyed at how they?ve gone about it.?

A meeting of the TOA executive was held on Thursday night, and another will be held on Monday as the association tries to clarify the confusion they feel is surrounding the move. A general meeting of the association will be held shortly.