Police stopped approximately 50 motorists yesterday afternoon for failing to wear their seatbelts while simultaneously monitoring the taxi drivers? anti-GPS protest.

More than eight Police officers were keeping an eye on the taxi drivers who were demonstrating along Kindley Field Road at the entrance to the airport.

But the Police also kept a close eye on passing vehicles at the airport roundabout and stopped a slew of motorists for failing to buckle up.

Legislation enforcing mandatory seatbelt wearing has been in place since June 11.

Yesterday the motorists who were stopped ? including several taxi drivers who failed to buckle up ? received $50 fines.

A Police officer in the Traffic division said truck drivers were also stopped for failing to cover their loads on the way to the dump and Police also issued fines for motorists who were not carrying their drivers licences.

But some motorists were travelling at such a high speeds that the Police could not stop them as they sped on by.

One man who was stopped became particularly angry and accused Police of stopping him for racial reasons. He got out of his car and took the badge number of a nearby officer, who told him not to ?come any closer?.

Undeterred by the events around them, taxi drivers continued their protest.

They carried signs reading ?Government Political Suicide?, ?Make GPS Optional not Mandatory? and ?Minister & Dog Missing, Reward for Missing Dog?.

It was an eventful day at the airport, with Bermudian soccer star Shaun Goater arriving to a flurry of attention ? an a quick taxi appearance despite the ongoing strike.

Taxi drivers made their way to the airport after a go-slow drive from Number One Shed which began at 10 a.m.

?I told you not to vote PLP,? said one driver as the protest set off. was taken along for the ride by driver Kimmie Mello who, despite shout from a bystander to ?stop hurting the tourism industry?, said the majority of drivers are hard working individuals just trying to make a decent living.

Mr. Mello, a member of the Bermuda Taxi Operators Association, suggested Government monitor taxis with Government vehicles on a bi-weekly basis to determine who isn?t using their cab effectively rather than burden drivers with the cost of a system who?s efficiency they cannot guarantee.

?Drivers work 16 hours a day, they spend on average $30 a day on fuel,? he said. ?What we have asked for from the Government is to help us meet these expenses.

?We?ve asked them time and again to help with our gas costs when we go to the pump, to establish a drivers? only pump in the east and western parishes.

?All we are asking this time is for Government to make it optional, show us how it will work successfully, and then let us consider putting it in our cars.?

But another driver, Alaine Mouchete, who supports a digital dispatch system, said taxi drivers must move with the times and embrace new technology.

?It will not only help with business but it will create other avenues of income for taxi drivers,? she said. ?There are benefits to a digital system. Your customers can search the Internet, make reservations and you can advertise. I really think they don?t understand the system and the benefits of what it could do for their business.?