Panaji, Mar 4: In a move to make the integrated digital taxi meters as affordable as possible, the state government has decided to allow two or more companies to partner and bid for the contract to supply around 25,000 integrated digital taxi meters for taxis operating in the state. This is expected to bring down the prices while also ensuring better quality and service of the devices.

“Since it is a new concept being introduced, we have decided to allow consortiums to bid for the project so that more companies can participate and so that a competitive price is arrived at,” a government official said.

KPIT Industries, one of the companies that had expressed interest in the government contract, had requested the directorate of transport and Goa Electronics Limited (GEL) to allow a consortium of three members to participate in the project “considering multiple technologies involved” and wide scope of the project.

The government wants to install a comprehensive digital fare meter which will include a micro-printer, a GPS device and a panic button integrated with an overhead display. The single device has to ensure that taxis comply with the regulations and norms set by various authorities.

“We would like to request you that a joint bidding or a consortium be permitted. Since it is a new concept being introduced by any state , we humbly submit that a consortium be permitted to bid for the project so that more companies can participate and the state of Goa not only gets the best vendor but also at a competitive price in the interest of taxi owners,” an official of Vindhya Appliances has said in writing to GEL.