have returned questionnaires to the Special Taxi Commission and more continue to trickle in daily, says commission head Sir John Sharpe.

The Commission extended a late October deadline to November 4 to give taxi owners and operators a chance to express their views on a number of issues, including size of taxis, health and safety, communications, fares, zoning, and operating costs.

More than 500 surveys, designed by Management Services and the Department of Statistics, were mailed out in an attempt to gather information directly from the taxi owners.

Topping the list of issues is the question of a fare increase; the last was in 1989.

"We will have just about completed our interviews and the information gathering process by the end of this week,'' Sir John yesterday told The Royal Gazette .

From there the Commission expects to table its report to Transport Minister Wayne Furbert by November 25.

It's not too late for drivers who failed to send in the survey to do so now, he added. "We've got some indication of the views of the owners on a wide range of issues affecting their industry, but the more response we get the more comprehensive the picture.'' TRANSPORTATION TRA