encroaching on its business.

The Bermuda Industrial Union Taxi Co-Op is cutting back its around-the-clock operation to 17 hours a day.

Already it has reduced its dispatching staff -- people who direct taxis to a call -- from seven to two.

Yesterday Taxi Co-Op president George Scott said: "People are encroaching on our business. We are losing revenue. Revenue is not coming in like it should, it is going to other people.

"We are only servicing people who are calling for taxis. This is not just happening to us, other taxi firms are facing the same problems.

"We have a 24 hour a day operation, but we are having to cut back to 17 hours a day.'' Mr. Scott claimed cruise ships were not calling taxis for Island tours and that some people were hogging the hotel business.

He also wants to see the law reversed so taxis have to be equipped with radios. The law was abolished recently and most cabbies removed the radios from their taxis -- operating mostly just by cellular telephones.

"There are a number of people getting the most lucrative work in the hotels from group business, so the dispatcher cannot get a cut of that revenue,'' added Mr. Scott.

He said he would like Government intervention to try and create a "level playing field'' for all taxi operators.

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