Complaints have emerged about the availability of taxis for visitors and residents.

Several people this week told The Royal Gazette they were left stranded or waiting for hours at various spots across the Island last week after trying to get a taxi.

A former taxi dispatcher -- who did not wish to be identified -- said she was forced to wait more than two hours in Paget to get a taxi to Hamilton.

"I realise that they (taxi drivers) are busy right now,'' she said, "but a lot of them just sit down at Front Street and will not move until the cruise ships are gone. Then they want the local business.

"With 600 to 700 taxis on this Island, it's ridiculous.'' A visitor said he had similar problems.

"At one time we had to wait an hour and a half for a taxi to come and get us,'' complained the visitor who also wished to remain anonymous.

"When a tourist comes to the Island they know that they will be putting money into an expensive economy. It is frustrating, with the high fares they charge, to be sitting around and waiting.'' Bermuda Taxi Federation spokesman Joe L. Brown blamed Government for the problems.

"Last year Government withdrew the law requiring taxi drivers to have radios in their cars,'' Mr. Brown said. "The taxi drivers find radios an extra expense so they remove them.

"If I do not have a radio in my car, I will work from the Airport or the hotels.'' He said taxi drivers had been stretched to their limits in the last couple of weeks.

"We have had the Newport-Bermuda Race and the planes have been full,'' Mr.

Brown said.

But he admitted that some taxi drivers had withdrawn their services at night when they thought a strike over proposed Government fare increases was inevitable.

"We do apologise to anyone who suffered any inconvenience,'' Mr. Brown added.

"It has been an unbelievable week.'' But the visitor disagreed with Mr. Brown's comments about radios.

"The taxis I have been in usually have radios or even cellular phones,'' he said. "This guy (the driver) would be talking on his phone and working the radio.'' A Smith's Parish man complained that it was also difficult to get taxis on Front Street.

"This lady (taxi driver) wouldn't take us home from outside the Oasis nightclub,'' he said. "She refused us a ride because she lived in the other direction.'' Another taxi driver, he said, did not allow him to take his taxi because he was a little wet from the rain.

"He told me that taxi drivers don't like picking up people from outside Oasis because they are messy and rude,'' the man added. "What is the problem? A fare is a fare.'' But the man was quick to say that most of the taxi drivers he had dealt with were friendly and courteous.

"Most of them are good people,'' he said, "but there is always someone who will spoil things.''