LRTA cuts budget for LRT-2 maintenance

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

Jose Jobel Belarmino, chairman of the Bids and Awards Committee – Rail of the LRTA, said in a text message that the approved budget for contract has been reduced to P1.15 billion from P1.33 billion as the scope of work on the brake operating unit and the gangway has been removed while the janitorial services portion has been reduced.

Belarmino stated in Supplemental Bid Bulletin R-11H that the deadline has been moved to Oct. 17 instead of Sept. 24. “on the basis of 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 for the three-year maintenance contract was July 16 but was moved to Aug. 29 and then to Sept. 24.

Interested companies include Filipino-owned construction giant DM Consuji Inc. (DMCI); Miescorrail Inc. of electricity distributor Manila Electric Co.; 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.; and 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-kilometer LRT-2 system running from CM Recto Avenue to the Depot Santolan Street along Marcos Highway.

The DOTC has tapped the consortium of Foresight Development and Surveying Company, Soosung Engineering Co. Ltd., and Korea Rail Network Authority for a P240.78 million consulting/engineering services for civil works for the P9.7-billion LRT-2 east extension project.

The DOTC has also rolled out the bidding for the operation and maintenance of the LRT-2 system under the PPP scheme.

Earlier, the LRTA also deferred the deadline for the submission of bids for the P423.3-million maintenance contract for LRT-1 to Oct. 1 instead of Sept. 12 “to enable and afford prospective bidders to thoroughly study the bidding documents and to give them enough time to prepare reasonable bids.”