A taxi driver was fuming last night after claiming his cab was taken by TCD officers from outside his work.

Calvin Douglas said he left the keys in the vehicle, which he drives nights and weekends, but officials swooped and took it after claiming it wasn't on the road for the statutory 16 hours a day.

Mr. Douglas said he is the only driver of the vehicle, which is owned by someone else, and admits he doesn't have the vehicle on the road for the required hours.

But he added: "There is no taxi on the road for 16 hours no business requires taxis to be on the road for 16 hours."

And Mr. Douglas claimed one of the TCD drivers who snatched the vehicle on Wednesday also owns a cab which is parked for most of the day.

"This is the first time I have heard about TCD taking a cab."

Mr. Douglas said TCD had told him he must give up his full-time job at IBC if he wants to keep driving. "But I won't do that."

Now Mr. Douglas is exploring his legal options and is trying to find out if TCD took the cab legally.

"Other drivers think I should have reported the cab was stolen, they don't think it's legal that TCD took the taxi off the street."

Efforts to get answers from Government about his plight have proved fruitless said Mr. Douglas.

And drivers were reporting yesterday that TCD officers were out in force at the airport, inspecting cabs.

Last night a Transport spokesperson said: "It sounds like traffic officers are out doing their jobs. Historically TCD's traffic officers have been tied up at the airport assisting people with taxi rides.

"Newly-trained and assigned traffic officers were activated by the airport last week.

"So now TCD's traffic officers are more visible in other places and can get on with their enforcement duties."