12 firms eye LRT contract

MANILA, Philippines -  Twelve companies  are keen on bidding for the maintenance contracts for Light Rail Transit lines 1 and 2, a ranking official of the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) said over the weekend.

Jobel Belarmino, chairman of the LRTA Bids and Awards Committee – Rail, said nine companies have expressed interest in the three-year maintenance contract worth P1.33 billion for the 13.8-kilometer LRT-2 system running from CM Recto Avenue to the Depot Santolan Street along Marcos Highway.

The companies were identified as DM Consuji Inc. (DMCI),  Miescorrail Inc., Autre Porte Technique Global Inc. (APT Global), Marubeni Corp. of Japan, Multi Scan Corp. and Hyundai Rotem Corp. of South Korea, Telefonicka Inc., Comm Builders & Technology Phils, Corp. Global Epcom Services Inc.. and Korean-owned Busan Transportation Corp.

The deadline of submission and opening of bids was deferred to Sept. 24 instead of Aug. 29 this year. This was the second time the deadline for the submission of bids originally scheduled last July 16 was postponed.

Winning bidder would replace the TSPA consortium consisting of Telefonika, STIV, Pacific, and APT Global.

Three companies, on the other hand, have expressed interest in the one-year maintenance contract worth P423.3 million for the LRT-1 that operates the 20.7-kilometer LRT-1 from Baclaran in Pasay City to Roosevelt in Quezon City.

Interested bidders were identified as APT Global, Global Epcom Services, and Meralco’s Miescorrail.

The LRTA has also earlier deferred the deadline for the submission of bids for LRT-1 to Oct. 1 instead of Sept. 12.

The group of ComBuilders and Technology (CB&T), PMP Inc., and Gras Sabrocai currently maintains the LRT-1 system.

The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) is currently expediting the award of the P65-billion LRT1 Cavite extension project.to the Light Rail Manila Consortium composed of infrastructure giant Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC) through MPIC Light Rail Corp. (55 percent), conglomerate Ayala Corp. through AC Infrastructure Holdings Corp. (35 percent), and Macquaire Infrastructure Holdings (10 percent).

The group offered to pay P9.35 billion to the government to undertake the project under the Build Operate Transfer (BOT) law or Republic Act 7718. The LRT1 would be extended up to Niog in Bacoor, Cavite.