LRTA slashes budget for LRT2 maintenance contract

MANILA, Philippines – The Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) has reduced the cost of the 3-year maintenance contract for the Light Rail Transit line 2 (LRT2) by P177 million ($3.98 million*) with the removal of certain components, pushing back anew the deadline to give bidders more time to prepare their bids.

The approved budget for contract has been reduced to P1.15 billion ($25.88 million) from P1.33 billion ($29.94 million) as the scope of work on the brake operating unit and the gangway has been removed, while the janitorial services portion has been reduced, LRTA Bids and Awards Committee Rail chairman Jose Jobel Belarmino said in a text message on Tuesday, September 23.

Belarmino stated in Supplemental Bid Bulletin No. R-11H that the deadline has been moved to Friday, October 17 from Wednesday, September 24, granting the “numerous and repeated requests by the majority of prospective bidders for additional time to review and evaluate the changes made in the bidding documents vis-à-vis by which manner they would prepare their respective bids.”

This is the third time that the deadline for the submission of bids has been extended. The original deadline for the submission of bids was July 16 but was moved to August 29, and to September 24.

Interested companies include:

• Filipino-owned construction giant DM Consuji Inc. (DMCI)
• Miescorrail Inc. of electricity distributor Manila Electric Company (Meralco)
• Autre Porte Technique Global Inc. (APT Global)
• Marubeni Corp. of Japan
• The tandem of Multi Scan Corp. and Hyundai Rotem Corp. of South Korea
• Telefonicka Inc.
• Comm Builders & Technology Phils, Corp.
• Global Epcom Services Inc.
• Korean-owned Busan Transportation Corp.

The winning bidder would replace the TSPA consortium consisting of Telefonika, STIV, Pacific, and APT Global that currently maintains the 13.8-km, LRT2 system running from CM Recto Avenue to the Santolan depot along Marcos Highway.

Previously, DOTC tapped the consortium of Foresight Development and Surveying Company, Soosung Engineering Co. Ltd., and Korea Rail Network Authority for P240.78 million ($5.42 million) worht of consulting and engineering services for civil works, for the P9.7-billion ($218.12 million) LRT2 east extension project.

The DOTC has also rolled out the bidding for the operation and maintenance of the LRT2 system under the public-private partnership scheme.

Contract bid deadline moved

LRTA also deferred the deadline for the submission of bids for the P423.3-million ($9.52-million) maintenance contract for LRT1 to Wednesday, October 1 instead of September 12 “to enable and afford prospective bidders to thoroughly study the bidding documents and to give them enough time to prepare reasonable bids.”

The LRTA is looking for a maintenance contractor for the 20.7-km LRT1 from Baclaran in Parañaque City to Roosevelt in Quezon City that is currently being maintained by the group of ComBuilders and Technology (CB&T), PMP In., and Gras Sabrocai.

Interested bidders for the LRT1 maintenance contract include APT Global, Global Epcom Services, and Meralco’s Miescorrail.

On September 12, the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) awarded the P65-billion ($1.46-billion) LRT1 Cavite extension project to the Light Rail Manila Consortium of Metro Pacific Investments Corporation, Ayala Corporation, and Macquarie Infrastructure Holdings, despite the temporary restraining order (TRO) issued by the Supreme Court preventing the LRTA from transferring the location of the P1.4 billion ($31.46 million) common station to TriNoma Mall instead of SM City North EDSA.

The consortium offered to pay P9.35 billion ($210.11 million) to the government to undertake the project under the Build Operate Transfer (BOT) law or Republic Act 7718.

The LRT1 will be extended up to Niog in Bacoor, Cavite. – Rappler.com