A furious taxi driver yesterday blasted nit-picking bureaucrats after being ordered by civil servants to remove signs -- one saying "Welcome to Bermuda'' -- from his cab.

Hubert Franks, a taxi driver for more than 30 years, said: "It's ridiculous -- everybody's being told we have to give better service to visitors.

"I get a very good reaction from visitors -- they think my taxi is beautiful.

Some come back every year and look for me. And they phone me long distance to pick them up at the Airport.

"I'm doing my very best to make things nice for people -- and now I'm being told I can't do it.'' Mr. Franks' said he was told by Transport Control Department officials that it was illegal to have advertisements inside taxis.

And he claims he was ordered to remove a special visitors' book, which has signatures from all over the world in it.

But Mr. Franks said his signs were not advertising anything -- except Bermudian friendliness.

His gleaming blue taxi -- called Morning Glory -- sports a green-and-yellow coachline, custom detailing in black, yellow and green on the front and whitewall tyres.

Inside, the cab boasts small signs on the back of the front seat headrests and on the doors.

The signs -- handpainted by a signwriter -- match the rest of the colour scheme of the taxi. They read "Welcome to Bermuda. Would you like to sign my visitors book?'' and `Take a Bermuda Tour -- I'm a qualified guide.'' Others signs placed on the door and the cabin wall ask passengers not to touch air conditioning -- and all are forbidden according to Mr. Franks.

But two signs -- asking passengers to wait until the driver opens the door for them and requesting them not to slam the door -- were passed by TCD, but only after an argument.

Mr. Franks said the last time he took his cab to be checked it was given a licence, but he was told the signs would have to be out of the cab before it was tested again. The cab is due to be inspected in March.

Now Mr. Franks' case has been taken up by PLP transport spokesman Dennis Lister.

Mr. Lister said: "Nothing in the taxi is done in a shabby manner and it's nothing we don't want to be seen by our visitors.

"The signs are not advertising or promoting any commercial activity -- they are trying to uplift tourism. They're appealing, attractive and welcoming signs.

"Mr. Franks is doing his bit to try and uplift the image of tourism for our visitors and people are putting obstacles in his way.'' Mr. Lister said Mr. Franks had been trying to get the decision reversed for months -- and that time was now running out.

No-one from TCD could be contacted for comment yesterday -- but Transport Minister Wayne Furbert said that taxi regulations were regulated by the Public Service Vehicle Licencing Board.

And he held out a glimmer of hope for Mr. Franks and his cab signs.

Mr. Furbert added: "There are certain policies in place regarding signs that taxi drivers have in their cabs.

"They have relaxed a number of rules over the years and we are looking at it again to see if any further relaxations could be made.'' He added: "In theory, I have no real problem with it. That's why we are reviewing it. But we have to come to some consensus on what should, and should not, be there.''