A government senator said that no unlicensed taxi dispatching services had been identified, despite concerns voiced by one company.

Responding to questions from Marcus Jones, the Opposition Leader in the Senate, Mischa Fubler, the junior transport minister, said that there were four dispatch companies licensed by the Public Service Vehicles Licensing Board.

Mr Fubler added that no companies had been identified as operating outside the provisions of the Motor Car Act.

He also informed the Senate that 552 of 600 taxi permits were in active use and there were no plans to increase the number of permits.

The comments came after Central Dispatch, a licensed dispatch company, claimed last week that entities had operated “outside of the legal framework”, using apps.

However, Shari-Lynn Pringle, a taxi driver, said then that the chat groups provided taxi operators with a “networking tool to assist with transporting people quickly and efficiently” and were not a commercial entity or a dispatcher.

Last month, the One Bermuda Alliance called for an increase in the number of taxis in Bermuda as demand outstrips supply.

Dwayne Robinson, the shadow transport minister, said he had spoken with industry stakeholders and that the Bermuda Taxi Owners and Operators Association, which represents a segment of the industry, recommended issuing more temporary and full taxi permits.

The BTOA announced in June that it would launch the booking platform BTOA Connect, allowing direct access to taxi operators via mobile and web platforms.

In November, Central Dispatch released Ride.bm, an app aimed at modernising transportation hire in Bermuda.