Angry taxi drivers last night vowed to take job action, starting today, as they continue to battle against pending GPS legislation.

Bermuda Taxi Owners Association Spokesman Lee Tucker said people who depend on taxi service may be put at a disadvantage over the next week and in the near future.

At a meeting last night at the Warwick Workmen's Club, close to 300 cabbies turned out to voice their concerns over GPS or Digital Taxi Dispatching System. Last week Government tabled the controversial GPS bill, saying the technology will improve service and security, but taxi drivers met last night to discuss how to respond to the legislation.

Mr. Tucker said the tone of the meeting was "hostile" with taxi drivers voicing their frustration at proposals for mandatory GPS. The meeting was closed to all media and Mr. Tucker said he was advised by members of the association not to disclose full details to the press as to what exactly the job action would involve.

"The mood of the meeting was expressing how we've been mistreated, deceived and haven't been respected by the Government," said Mr. Tucker. "GPS puts more expense levied onto our shoulders. We've explained to the public that there would be a twenty percent increase in taxi fares."

He would not confirm whether taxi drivers would strike but said they would consider a number of options to get their point across to Government. When asked if he was concerned about the impact of the job action in the beginning of the tourist season, Mr. Tucker said it would be for the Premier and Transport Minister to decide how to deal with that situation. "We've told them that all this could be averted if they changed just one word and made GPS optional," he said.

Transport Minister Dr. Ewart Brown said last night the public can expect a disruption in taxi service over the next three days and in the near future.

Dr. Brown said tourists can expect their essential transportation needs -such as trips to the airport - to be met by available buses and shuttles at government expense. Despite taxi operators refusal to accept GPS, Dr. Brown said Government is committed to proceeding with the legislation and will "protect the public's right to travel.

"We're going to use all our public transport to the best of our ability and increase the bus schedule as much as we can and call on the public to assist us," he said.

Dr. Brown added Government has made a pledge to allow owners to own their own dispatching system. "Over the last four years there has been no attempt to take us up on that offer," he said.

Dr. Brown would not comment on the nature of Government's discussions with taxi operators: "What we did find out in the course of our discussion is money is not the issue," he said.

Premier Alex Scott is expected to announce the latest developments in talks with the taxi industry this morning.

Transport Minister Ewart Brown and Mr. Scott will be holding a Press conference at 10 a.m. where the various offers which were presented to taxi representatives in an effort to come to a compromise over the Digital Taxi Dispatching System.

If passed the Act will make mandatory, in addition to two way radio sets and a mobile data terminal a global positioning device and alarm device in the cab.