Transport Minister Ewart Brown has denied backtracking on Government plans to make the controversial Global Positioning System (GPS) mandatory in all taxis.

But when asked if that meant Government would be going ahead with the system if elected, Dr. Brown refused to answer the question.

In yesterday's Royal Gazette Dr. Brown said that, while he personally still supported the system, there was a possibility that it would be dropped, adding: "It's not been ruled out. It appears to be a contentious issue."

His comments came just days after taxi driver spokesman Lee Tucker hinted that Government could lose votes if it persisted with the plan.

At a press conference yesterday, Dr. Brown said he was still interested in improving transportation and redistribution of taxis on the Island, "regardless of the headline in the paper".

And he said his emphasis was serving the people of Bermuda and the tourists that visited the Island.

"I've heard too many people who say `get me a taxi for late night arrivals at the airport' or `I don't want to wait in the rain anymore for a taxi'," Dr. Brown said.

"I have to stand up for Bermudian people."

When asked later to clarify his remarks, Dr. Brown refused to be drawn on the issue, although he did say that yesterday's story contained errors.

"I stand by the statement I made this morning," he said.

Asked to clarify that remark, the Minister said: "You have to work with it.

"The headline was misleading because nobody has backtracked."

When repeatedly asked if that meant Government planned to go ahead with the plan after all, Dr. Brown repeated: "Nobody has backtracked. Nobody has backtracked. Nobody has backtracked. What do you not understand?" He then hung up the phone.

The Global Positioning System, which automatically assigns jobs to the nearest taxi, has come under fire from cab drivers who say the technology is an unnecessary expense for a struggling industry and should not be made compulsory.