Law forces health authority to choose the highest bidder for patient transport contract

Tender rules favour firms with a taxi licence over a limousine licence

Philip Tees

The taxi company DanTaxi will take over the contract for transporting patients in the Southern Denmark region, replacing the current provider SIM Lægekørsel, despite its bid being two million kroner more expensive, DR reports.

Surprising decision 
The patient transport contract for the region was put out to tender. Although DanTaxi’s offer was 22.5 million kroner and SIM Lægekørsel’s was 20.3 million kroner, the region was obligated to choose DanTaxi because of a legal provision stating that bidders with a taxi licence should be chosen ahead of those with a limousine licence, regardless of price.

Tage Petersen, the chairman of the region’s health co-ordinating committee, wants the rules to be changed to prevent similar situations arising in the future.

“I can understand that people are surprised by the offer we have chosen. But we have to work within the guidelines the transport and construction agency has given us,” he said.

“It seems very messed up. So we will try to get the rules changed so we get a fairer competition situation in the market.”

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