Taxi drivers have called an emergency meeting Monday to discuss action over TCD's failure to licence cabs without working GPS.

Hundreds are expected to gather at Warwick Workmen's Club at 7 p.m. to decide on measures in response to the Transport Control Department's failure of cabs whose Global Positioning Systems are not connected to their dispatching office.

Since December 1, it is estimated up to 200 cabs have been failed due to not having connecting GPS.

The deadline for all vehicles to be licensed is January 31, otherwise they will be put off the road.

Some cabbies claim the process is unfair because they should not be penalised for their dispatching company not turning on their satellite navigation system to notify them of jobs.

One driver, who did not wish to be named, said last night: "Taxi drivers are feeling disrespected, disappointed and angry."

He said a GPS system cost taxi operators $1,500 plus monthly payments of around $150 to the dispatching company, which then has to pay an overseas vendor for the service. Despite this, he said some companies such as Radio Cabs were resorting to voice dispatch.

Radio Cabs boss Edward Darrell said since the start of December, up to 70 taxis from the company's fleet of around 180 had been given fail slips.

"There are others from other companies being failed as well," he said. "I think it's at over 200 in total now."

Lawyers for Radio Cabs are now examining whether it is legal for TCD to fail cabs since December, after passing other vehicles in previous months.

Mr. Darrell said he also disputed that there was no law to force drivers to pay their monthly GPS fees to their dispatching firm.

He has spent around $90,000 installing a GPS system in the office, but said some drivers against the new technology will refuse to turn it on and will then go missing when a job arises.

In order to generate business, the company then has to resort to voice dispatch.

It is understood lawyers Delroy Duncan and Eugene Johnston of Trott & Duncan are to argue Radio Cabs' case against Government in court.

"We have an ongoing issue between Radio Cabs and TCD about GPS," said Mr. Darrell.

"The other legal issue is the drivers who are being penalised and having their cars failed by TCD because of the GPS.

"All the cars in October and November were passed, but from December they weren't, so this is an issue.

"This is why we're having a meeting on Monday, to try to resolve it. It the cars aren't licensed by the end of this month they can't be on the road.

"The owners have to decide on what they want to do."

A law making GPS mandatory in taxis came into effect in Feburary 2006 but many cabbies refused to use the system, relying instead on radio dispatch to get jobs. The Motor Car Amendment Act 2008 was introduced last summer to force them to switch their global positioning devices on.

Taxi operator Lee Tucker said: "There should be a few hundred people at this meeting because many operators and drivers are being affected by TCD's position. It's also the worst time for Government to enforce this law because the taxi business is very slow at the moment, in the tourist off-season.

"The drivers coming to the meeting will be voicing their concerns about what's happening in the industry."