The smart meter’s credit card payment keypad and TV screen, which will feature short loops of NBC content and weather.

The installation of new smart meters in D.C.’s 6,500 taxicabs will continue, ruled a judge yesterday after a company that lost a bid to provide them tried to stop a competitor’s meter from being installed.

Creative Mobile Technologies is one of two firms that lost out on the $35 million, five-year contract to provide the city with the meters, which accept credit cards and include TV and GPS tracking. After the installation of the meters began to great fanfare last week, CMT filed suit, saying that any installations should be held off until the D.C. Contract Appeals Board has a chance to rule on whether or not the city legally gave winning bidder VeriFone the contract.

Judge Laura A. Cordero ruled against CMT’s request, saying that few smart meters would be installed over the next week and that even if CMT won its appeal, it wouldn’t have to shoulder the costs of removing the meters from the cabs that have them. Currently, taxicab drivers are on the hook for the estimated $400 installation cost; Mayor Vince Gray offered to cover the costs, but his $1.3 million contract to do so had been held up by Councilmember Marion Barry (D-Ward 8).

D.C. Attorney General Irv Nathan cheered the decision, saying in a statement: “We are gratified that the Court has denied the demands for relief by Creative Mobile, and has agreed with the arguments by the Office of the Attorney General that the company would suffer no injury, let alone irreparable injury, if the implementation goes forward pending a ruling on the D&F by the Contract Board of Appeals. In our view, the public interest would be not served by any delay in the Taxi Commission’s moving forward with its technologically improved taxi meter installation.”

If the appeals board upholds the contract for VeriFone, the city’s taxicabs should be outfitted with the new smart meters by November.