Transmitter problems thought to have been caused by Monday night's storm have been playing havoc with most of the Island's taxi service.

Around 400 cab owners have been hit by poor radio reception meaning cabs in some parts of the Island can't be contacted while reception is poor across the island as Radio Cabs revert to a back-up service.

One cabbie told The Royal Gazette: "There's a big problem getting cars in the eastern areas. The dispatcher can't find me, I can't hear her.

"I have lost quite a bit of work and the customer suffers."

He said many drivers were reverting to cell phones to get jobs.

A spokeswoman for Radio Cabs said BTC were trying to fix the problem, although she said the companies equipment had been checked and was working OK but the problem was in the fibre optic lines.

She said: "You hope and pray you will hear that voice come through that box. Right now we are using two-way radios but you can't get through in a lot of areas."

The fault was causing extra work for dispatchers who kept having to repeat themselves.

She said: "Anything past Shelly Bay and drivers can't hear anything apart from static. Areas in Southampton you can't hear, Harrington Sound is also bad."

She apologised to customers affected by the fault.

BTC spokeswoman Ona Fletcher said the transmitter problem might have been related to the storm but she said the company were working flat out to fix it.

And she said only cell phone firm Telecom Bermuda and Scottish Annuity Re were still suffering communication problems from the storm which hit internet and cell phones across the island.