Pretoria - Tensions are mounting between the taxi industry and the government on the implementation of the bus rapid transport (BRT) system.

The SA National Taxi Council (Santaco) and the National Taxi Alliance (NTA) yesterday decided to recall their representatives involved in talks with municipalities on the system.

The decision, taken at a meeting of disgruntled Gauteng taxi operators, follows a warning by Santaco that implementation of the BRT system would be "met with unmoved resistance if the taxi industry was not consulted".

Philip Taaibosch, Santaco's general secretary, confirmed yesterday that 12 people from the regional structures of Santaco and the Top Six Taxi Association were recalled: "We do not believe they are representing the [taxi] industry."

Taaibosch said the recall was authorised by the leadership of Santaco and the NTA.

He said the leadership of Santaco and the NTA would issue a statement tomorrow.

Santaco is recognised by the state as the national, democratically elected representative organisation of the taxi industry.

The relationship between Santaco and the NTA has largely been adversarial, despite some NTA members also holding Santaco membership.

In 2006 the NTA demanded unsuccessfully that the national transport department give it the same status as Santaco.

The NTA has consistently opposed the government's R7.7 billion taxi recapitalisation programme.

Santaco has supported the programme, although in March it declared a freeze on its 160 000 members' participation because of multiple concerns over how it was being implemented at provincial level.

Taaibosch said this week that the BRT had so far clearly confirmed taxi operators' suspicions of the government's endeavour to "graciously muscle down the taxi industry by introducing new players under the guise of an 'improvement of transportation service'".

He said the implementation of the BRT system was not inclusive of the taxi industry.

Santaco had continuously expressed its concern to transport minister Jeff Radebe about the non-consultative approach of municipalities on the BRT system and the speed at which it was being rolled out.

Taaibosch said it was shocking that municipalities were pressing ahead with the BRT.

It was also misrepresenting the taxi industry as being supportive of the project when the planned meeting to discuss the BRT had not been convened.

The national transport department was not available for comment yesterday.

Published on the web by Business Report on August 14, 2008.

© Business Report 2008. All rights reserved.