Project consultant needed for Davao bus transit system

MANILA, Philippines —  The country’s first integrated city-wide bus service is nearing to materialize with the Department of Transportation (DOTr) now looking for a consultant who will be tasked to oversee the project.

In a request for expression of interest, the DOTr have asked consultancy firms to submit their qualifications to manage the Davao Public Transport Modernization Project (DPTMP).

The consultant will be mandated to administer contracts, supervise the design and construction of the project, and monitor its progress.

According to the DOTr, the consultant will work on the project for at least three years: 22 months to implement the contracts; 12 months to identify faults; and two months to close out the project.

The DOTr will come up with a shortlist of consultants from those who submitted expressions of interest. Afterward, the agency will conduct a competitive bidding for the contract following the procurement rules issued by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the financier of the project.

The DPTMP seeks to set up the country’s first city-wide bus-based public transport that features performance-based employment and uses an integrated fare collection system.

The DPTMP will introduce a traffic management system in Davao City prioritizing bus services along a core network of around 110 kilometers.

The core network of the project will form part of an integrated route with feeder lines stretching an additional 400 kilometers, with associated passenger terminal and bus terminal facilities.

Under the DPTMP, the DOTr will start a high-priority bus system based on a four-tier structure. The first tier, Metro Davao, will connect commercial centers around Davao City by putting up a backbone service that meets its mobility demands.

The second tier, Davao Inter, will bridge the inner areas of the city to the central business district. The third tier, Davao Feeder, will link commuters from small-scale towns to Metro Davao, while the fourth tier, Davao Local, will serve as the main transport for outer areas surrounding the city.

The government has requested $1.3 billion from the ADB to deliver the project, of which $800 million will serve as primary funding while $503 million will come as secondary capital.

For 2023, the ADB has allocated $4 billion in loans for the Philippines, including $1 billion for the DPTMP.