Motor Car Amendment Act 1995 was approved yesterday in the House of Assembly.

Transport Minister the Hon. Maxwell Burgess said the legislation was designed to repeal the 1951 Act which required a taxi to have a two-way radio.

"The reason for the amendment is to allow taxi drivers to determine whether they require a two-way radio,'' Mr. Burgess said.

"Twenty percent of taxi operators use a cellular phone instead of the two-way radio and 67 per cent are using the radio. It should be optional.'' Mr. Burgess said market forces should decide which piece of technology a taxi operator used.

And fears that once the law is relaxed communications will break down were unfounded because drivers will use which ever method is most successful in bringing them business.

Mr. Burgess said the taxi industry had become more organised now where tourists were concerned with 55 to 60 per cent of tourists pre-planning their transportation.

The Transport Minister said he would be keeping a "watching brief'' to ensure that everyone who wishes a taxi is able to get one.

However, Shadow Transport Minister Mr. Dennis Lister said the legislation was a case of Government putting the "cart before the horse''.

"I am concerned about Government's piecemeal approach to the taxi industry.

The Drinkwater report highlighted issues important to the taxi industry and Government needs to debate the report.'' Mr. Lister said it was impossible to know at the moment what Government's plans were for the industry until it has said where it stood.

"We need to know where Government stands on the issues so we can take a position.'' Mr. Lister said that overall taxi drivers were looking for parity and if the Minister were closer to the drivers he would know that the pre-arranged transport at the Airport was a point of contention because it was not being done through the industry itself.

Government backbencher Mr. Harry Soares said taxi drivers "were our front line ambassadors''.

In 1987 there were chronic shortages in the industry with locals and tourists complaining.

There were he said some 562 four seater cabs with some 2248 seats but demand outstripped supply.

Consequently in 1993 the number of taxis was increased to 600.

Four hundred of those were six seaters so seating capacity increased to 3,200 which increased capacity 42 percent.

There problem of too few taxis went away, he said, but all legislation needed to be vigilant of changes in the industry if they are to be relevant. "The taxi industry has changed and we in Bermuda must look to change with the times and make good use of the technology.'' Mr. Walter Lister , Special Assistant for Management and Technology, said the PLP opposed the law the first time since they felt there was no need for taxi operators to have two-way radios if they did not want them.

Today Mr. Lister said the taxi industry was over regulated but some taxis will use radios while some may not.

Mr. Lister said some taxi drivers had organised niche markets for themselves and do well without the radio.

"It's nice to see Government gravitating to where we were.'' Mr. Lister said that although Government gave much lip service to the taxi industry, they allowed another bus service from the Airport which will hurt the industry in the end.

Community and Cultural Affairs Minister the Hon. Wayne Furbert said it was peculiar that the Shadow Minister would mention the Drinkwater report when he brought a motion to discuss it before the House but did not follow through with it.

Mr. Furbert said that his Ministry supported taxi owners through the small business development cooperation, and the legislation would mean savings for those operators that considered them unnecessary.

Mr. Reginald Burrows (PLP) said he was also concerned that Government brought the legislation without debating the Drinkwater report.

He said Government made it compulsory in 1987 for operators to have radios but now "it was good to see they are ready to make a change''.

The Transport Minister said the Shadow Minister did not show interest in debating the Drinkwater report so it was unfair for him to call for it when he did not use the opportunity to bring it forward for debate.

Mr. Burgess said that while there was a second bus from the Airport, there were the same number of seats as before so Government had stayed consistent on its promise to support the taxi drivers.

The motion was then passed.

More coverage in Monday's newspaper.