Opponents of the proposed taxi central dispatch unit are threatening strike action if Government forces drivers into the scheme.

But Transport Minister Dr. Ewart Brown says he intends to make the global positioning system (GPS) scheme mandatory and he says rumours of strikes had been surfacing for the last six months.

He said: “Sometimes it seems as though the strikes are already happening as people can't get taxis.

Dr. Brown said he is hoping to get Cabinet approval for the GPS, which automatically assigns jobs to the nearest drivers, this month to introduce legislation when Parliament reconvenes in February.

He said: "I hope to get it up and running by the end of February."

Supporters of GPS are offering sceptical drivers a free three-month trial for the high-tech gadgets.

And the two-sides have clashed over attendance figures at a meeting to plug the benefits of the system.

One anti-GPS driver, who wished to remain anonymous, said only 20 people had attended the meeting at Devonshire Recreation Club on Wednesday night, and ten of those were on the board of the newly-formed Bermuda Central Dispatch Corporation. He said: "Taxi drivers are going to call an emergency meeting later this month. We'll get feedback from drivers on what they want to do."

He said strikes would be on the agenda. Asked how long action could take he said: "For as long as it takes to get the Minister to come to his senses."

But board vice-president Walter Byron said around 60 people had attended Wednesday's meeting, despite a no-show campaign by resisters, who he believes number between 80-100 out of 600 drivers.

He said the meeting boycott was a last-ditch effort to derail change. He said: “They don't understand they can't leave people behind, people stranded on their resorts or prisoners on their own property.

“The taxi business is broken and needs to be fixed. There is no other group coming up with worthwhile recommendations on how to change.”

He said efforts would be made to meet doubters on a one-to-one basis to persuade them to come on board and get shares and become their own boss rather than let a small group reap dividends.

Mr. Byron continued: “But for some reason they seem to be hung up about the fact that the new system will identify where their car is, within three feet.

“It spooks a lot of people, I don't understand it.

“We are at a delicate stage.”

He said some taxi drivers had called for the heads each of the previous transport ministers and now they were complaining about Dr. Ewart Brown, despite his willingness to work with them.

“They are still resisting, it's a mystery to me,” said Mr. Byron.

“We have bent over backwards, saying we will work with everybody but we can't get over this group of 80-100 people who are just negative.”

Asked about possible strike action he said: “Isn't that silly. What industry in Bermuda can afford to strike?”

But he said at least strike action would help identify the doubters. “The taxi industry has to improve. We can't do what we have done in the last five to ten years.”