Deadline of taxis upgrade missed

A target to have all white taxis fitted with meters, tracking devices and CCTV cameras by the end of January has been missed. The upgrade is intended to protect both drivers and passengers from violence and tariff abuse. The installation process was suspended in mid-November when drivers complained the equipment was causing their car batteries to go flat. 190 taxis had been fitted with the new devices when the process stalled. Alberta Group, which is supplying and installing the devices, said it modified the software in the over the past three weeks to meet new requirements from Transport Malta and the association representing white taxis. Successful tests have since been done on 10 taxis. Installation will resume once testing is completed. Full story in The Times. See also http://www.timesofmalta.com/mobile/view/20121203/local/White-taxi-upgrade-runs-out-of-power.447914