By Arjay L. Balinbin, Senior Reporter
THE Transportation department said two Chinese companies recently submitted bids for the P73.93-billion bus system project in Davao City.
“Two international bidders from China — China International Water & Electric Corp. and China Railway 21st Bureau Group Co., Ltd. — submitted bids for all three contract packages,” the Department of Transportation (DoTr) said in a recent statement to BusinessWorld, when asked for an update.
The department said it plans to award the contracts “in April.”
China International Water & Electric is an engineering company that works in the fields of water, hydropower, new energy, and infrastructure.
Meanwhile, China Railway 21st Bureau Group is a company that builds railway complexes, buildings, roads, tunnels, and bridges, among others.
The Transportation department started inviting bidders in November last year, through the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM), for the design, construction, and completion of the Davao Public Transport Modernization Project, also known as the Davao High Priority Bus System Project.
The department sought bidders for three contract packages, including a contract that covers the construction of Buhangin Depot, Calinan Depot, and Calinan Driving School.
The second contract is for the Toril Depot and Terminal, Bunawan Terminal, and Calinan Terminal, while the third contract covers the civil works along bus routes, including bus stops, bus lanes, and other pedestrian improvement works.
The DoTr said the government had applied for financing from the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
The deadline for bid submission was originally set for Jan. 6, but was later extended to Feb. 10 “to provide prospective bidders sufficient time to evaluate the bid documents and attachments and be able to prepare better bids,” the PS-DBM said in a general bid bulletin.
The pre-bid conference took place on Nov. 26. In its presentation, the bids and awards committee said that the project is part of the transport road map of the City Government of Davao, and is intended to replace jeepneys.
The bus system will have 29 routes with a total route network of 672 kilometers, operating on over 580 kilometers of roads, and traversing the entirety of Davao City.
It will be delivered via a combination of diesel and electric bus fleets.
The project is expected to commence operations in August 2023.
Former Transportation Assistant Secretary Goddes Hope O. Libiran told BusinessWorld in December that the civil works component will cost P19.71 billion, while the bus fleet, both diesel and electric, will cost P21.17 billion.
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