An emergency meeting of Co-op Taxi drivers is being held this evening as lawyers consider the implications of a Government-backed order that has suspended the firm?s licence to run as a taxi dispatch operation.

Despite being told to cease operating the Hamilton-based company is defying the ruling and, as of last night, was continuing to operate as normal.

Although it had been assumed the company was being punished for not having a fully-operating Global Positioning System as of the August 6 deadline, it claims the actual reason for the suspension is because it does not have the requisite 50 operating taxis required by law.

According to company executive Wayne Mouchette, the firm has 44 taxis and is hoping to boost that number to 50 soon, but he said the company has previously been allowed a lower number of taxis under a ?grandfather clause? because it was operating in that fashion before the law was adopted.

He said: ?We are continuing to operate as normal. The matter is in the hands of our lawyers who will brief us on what we can do.

?We are holding an emergency meeting with our drivers, which is also open to any other drivers who wish to work for us, this evening at the BIU offices in order for the drivers to come and get up to date about what is going on.?

A plan to amalgamate Co-op Taxis with the Bermuda Central Dispatch fell through in February and because of this the company has been playing catch-up as it sought a supplier of GPS equipment to allow it to meet the revised August 6 deadline for fitting the new technology to its dispatch centre and in individual taxi cabs.

Around 12 of its taxis now have such equipment and other drivers are waiting for their equipment to arrive. There has also been a delay in the main dispatch system being installed, but this is on the way and it will be the most advanced on the Island when it arrives, according to Mr. Mouchette.

?After the amalgamation did not happen our members decided to go it alone and we raised the funds and have been dealing with Mobile Knowledge. Our office equipment will be set up shortly,? he said.

Mr. Mouchette said the company had explained its situation to TCD and apologised for the delay and in not keeping officials fully informed. But he said a timetable for the instalment of the Mobile Knowledge set-up had been provided and the company had been given until September 6 to get everything online.

But he felt the suspension of the licence by the Public Service Vehicle Licencing Board had not helped the company and may have added a stigma that will put off new drivers from joining the company.

He hopes all Co-op Taxi drivers and potential drivers will attend the emergency meeting at the union hall at 6 p.m. today.