Taxi drivers are organising a petition to protest Government plans to force them into a high-tech dispatch service.

And a top lawyer is now being canvassed in case cabbies decide to mount a legal challenge to halt the global positioning system (GPS) which they say is expensive and unnecessary.

Cab owner Rudolph "Bunkers'' Bean said: "I have collected 150 myself. From what I understand we are close to 300 but we don't know for sure until we collect them all in.

"We don't want this system. It does not cure any of the ills of the industry.

"It's something companies use in the States but we don't have taxi companies in Bermuda where you rent cars from the company.'' Transport Minister Dr. Ewart Brown said he was keen to look at other problems the taxi industry was having but said this would only come after unity was brought about. He said the GPS system would help bring that.

He said: "If you talk to 600 cab drivers you have 1,200 different views.'' He said Bermuda's taxi industry was no different from anywhere else. He said: "Who owns the cars and how many cars is not relevant. We are simply trying to introduce a higher level of efficiency.

"This system won't improve if people think there is nothing wrong with the system.'' Mr. Bean said once it was certain there were at least 251 of an estimated 500 taxi owners against the scheme the petition would be put in the hands of a lawyer.

Cabbies to petition against dispatch plan Cabbies say the system, which can spot which cab is nearest to a job and send only that cab, was too costly at an estimated $900-$2,000 per vehicle.

"It will cost us more money with no potential to make the money back. Tourism is down. Greenspan says the US economy will be in recession for two to three years. It's already slow here.'' He said the industry had more pressing problems such as driver safety and he said it was time multiple fares were allowed for when the airport became overwhelmed with passengers.

Drivers also said the system can be bypassed by drivers turning off the systems and grabbing fares from under the noses of those still using GPS.

One driver, who wished to remain anonymous, said there was anger that the BIU was to run the service. He said: "Drivers are calling on the union to withdraw from it. They represent drivers as labour not as management.'' Dr. Brown said many drivers were simply resistant to change and he said the GPS system was not intended to monitor taxi drivers' whereabouts or habits.

Currently taxis are required to be on the roads for 16 hours a day and it has been suggested that drivers are anxious about being monitored for compliance with this rule.

But Dr. Brown said: "It's a false issue (that drivers will be monitored). If they are, so what? That's not what it's about.

"That 16-hour rule could be reviewed also and made to not be necessary,'' he explained. "If the policy is in place I don't know why they are not doing it.'' Dr. Brown continued. "The primary objective of this is not to monitor drivers. We will be monitoring cars for usage distribution and availability of service. We just want to know that licensed taxis and drivers are providing the service they are supposed to provide,'' he added. "I haven't got any feedback about any anxiety on that, though. That's simply not what we're doing.'' Asked about tomorrow's meeting with taxi owners, Dr. Brown clarified that the BIU had called previous meetings but that the Ministry should now get involved.

"There will be a Powerpoint presentation on the Cab Mate System which is found in more than 50 cities and towns,'' he said. "In fact the representative believes Bermuda is ideally suited to use this system. I asked that those meetings be held but they were the Union's meetings,'' he continued. "I was never invited and didn't intend to go to any of them.

"But the negotiations have reached a level that the Ministry should provide a level of leadership,'' Dr. Brown said, adding that Government would introduce legislation to put a BIU-administered GPS system in each taxi by July.

"(Transport's) entire leadership -- every director in the Ministry -- will be there. That's how important this is to us,'' Dr. Brown concluded.

"You know, this information has been available for some time. Public meetings are just one way to get the information out.''