MISSOULA, MT – The City of Missoula, Mont.’s city council voted to approve the purchase and installation of GPS units and an automated vehicle locator system for vehicles in the City’s fleet.

For the program, City documents state that the contract is with Montana Electronics Company for the sale and installation of GPS units for 52 vehicles and a related reporting and tracking service. The total fee for sales and installation is not to exceed $16,000. The annual fee for service and reporting is $14,652.

The City’s Parks Services and Systems Administrator David Selvage said in the City Council meeting where members discussed the plan to add the system that fuel savings will be around 10 percent compared to current costs, or around $7,000.

Although the fuel savings alone are less than the cost of service for the system, the City expects to see an increase in productivity, improved safety for City employees, and the ability to respond to complaints from citizens better by being able to determine exactly where a vehicle was at any given time.