DOTC rebidding consultancy contract for LRT-1 extension

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) is set to rebid the consultancy contract for the P65-billion Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1) Cavite extension project after a failed bidding last month.

In a request for expression of interest, the DOTC is again inviting interested consultants to submit offers for the P834.5 million contract after bidding for the project failed during the pre-qualifying stage last Dec. 19.

Prior to the submission of qualification documents, the DOTC’s Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) prevented all the firms or consortia engaged in consulting services for the capacity enhancement of mass transit systems in Metro Manila project involving the LRT-1 and LRT-2 as well as the consultancy services for LRT-1 North Extension – Common station from joining the bidding due to inherent conflict of interest.

Interested bidders have until Jan. 30 to submit their eligibility documents.

The DOTC said applications for eligibility would be evaluated based on non-discretionary “pass/fail” criteria and the BAC would draw up the shortlist of consultants in accordance with the provisions of Republic Act 9184 or the Government Procurement Reform Act.

It added that the shortlist would consist of not more than five prospective bidders and would be based on applicable experience (30 percent) qualification of personnel (50 percent) and current workload relative to capacity (20 percent).

Likewise, the DOTC said it would use the quality-cost based evaluation/selection wherein the technical bid would be given a weight of 70 percent and the financial bid 30 percent.

The DOTC, Light Rail Transit Authority  (LRTA) as well as the Light Rail Manila Consortium (LRMC) find it necessary to retain the services of an independent consultant of appropriate international standing of not less than 20 years relevant experience.

The consultant would certify whether the identified right of way submitted by the concessionaire is necessary to complete the Cavite extension and whether or not the existing system would meet the requirements

The consultant would also either approve or disapprove the structural defect report; approve or reject the detailed design from the concessionaire; approve any incremental costs other than those found in the structural defects notice; and issue a design acceptance certificate in respect to the detail design in respect to the railway infrastructure works.

The consultant would also monitor the progress of the works as well as the integrated testing of the light rail vehicles to be procured by the government, grant time extension for delayed works, among others.

The winning consultant should complete the project within five years from the issuance of the notice to proceed.

LRTA spokesman Hernando Cabrera earlier said the consultant would check the performance of the concessionaire of the LRT-1 system as well as the commitments of the government.

“The independent consultant will check the performance of the concessionaire on one hand, and the commitments of the government, DOTC, and LRTA on the other hand,” Cabrera said in a text message.

The government and the tandem of infrastructure giant Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC) and conglomerate Ayala Corp. signed the concession agreement for the largest Public Private Partnership (PPP) project awarded so far by the Aquino administration last Oct. 2.

MPIC’s Metro Pacific Light Rail Corp. controls 55 percent of the LRMC with by Ayala’s AC Infrastructure Holdings Corp. with 35 percent and the Philippine Investment Alliance for Infrastructure’s Macquarie Infrastructure Holdings (Philippines) PTE Ltd., 10 percent.

Under the agreement, LRMC would operate and maintain the existing LRT-1 from Roosevelt in Quezon City up to Baclaran and at the same time construct an 11.7-kilometer extension to the Niog area in Bacoor, Cavite consisting of eight new train stations traversing the cities of Parañaque and Las Piñas up to Bacoor.

LRMC has forged partnerships with three leading French companies to deliver a world-class rail transit system.