Inauguration visitors expecting to find taxi cabs that take credit cards like they are probably used to are likely to be disappointed come January.
A Contract Appeals Board judge ruled in favor of two finalists who failed to win the bid on installing smart meters in the city’s 6,500 taxis, two people with knowledge of the ruling confirmed for The Washington Post.
D.C. had awarded the $35 million contract to VeriFone, but it was challenged in August by two companies barred from the final phase of the process.
The challenge delayed smart meter installations, and city officials worried a verdict after mid-October would jeopardize installation in time for Inauguration Day.
There are options for city officials to consider going forward other than restarting the entire bidding process, The Post reported.
(NOTE: VeriFone, which the city contracted to provide the smart meters, has a national contract with NBCUniversal to deliver NBC content to smart meters in cabs across the country.)
