The SA National Taxi Council wants to "reopen" the taxi industry in place of the Bus Rapid Transit system, SABC radio news reported on Thursday.

This formed part of a counter-proposal to the establishment of the Bus Rapid Transit system.

The taxi body refuted a statement by Transport Minister Jeff Radebe that the taxi body had signed an agreement with government in support of the BRT system.

Santaco first deputy president Mthuthuzeli Molefe said: "We are given only the operational part of BRT. The other value chain – government is saying nothing about it.

"Whether it is an agenda for government officials and consultants and other companies to benefit out of that, we don't know," he told the broadcaster.

"But we are tired as an industry of being given the tail and the rest of the carcass is taken by other people. Of any project that has got to do with the taxi industry, for instance recap, it was the same thing," Molefe said.

Department of Transport spokesperson Collen Msibi said the taxi body misunderstood the statement by Radebe.

"It is not that he indicated that the national government had signed. He had clearly said at Asikhulume that the agreement that he heard about was the one between the municipality and the taxi industry in Port Elizabeth," Msibi told the broadcaster.

"Those are the details you need to get as to exactly what was signed but the minister quite clearly indicated that he heard that there was an agreement signed. We are trying to get the details," he said.

Sapa