The Department of Transportation (DOTr) plans to sell the operations and maintenance (O&M) of the EDSA Busway in Metro Manila to private operators via a solicited bidding process.
“We’re aiming for a solicited bidding process,” Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista told reporters.
Already, Bautista said, a private company has submitted an unsolicited proposal to operate and manage the EDSA Busway although he declined to disclose the identity of the proponent.
But as consequence of this development, Bautista said the DOTr is conducting its own parallel study and has engaged consultants for the NCR EDSA Busway.
The agency earlier signed consultancy services contracts with the Public-Private Partnership Center, the Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu and SyCip Gorres Velayo & Company (SGV) for the operations, maintenance and feasibility studies of the NCR EDSA Busway.
“Solicited bidding offers a faster timeline compared to unsolicited proposals. The Swiss Challenge process alone for unsolicited proposals can take 90 days up to a year, Bautista said.
The NCR EDSA Busway Project requires the financing, design and construction of enhanced bus stations, operations and control center, parking depots, and the purchase, operations and maintenance of a high-capacity busway plying the Circumferential Road 4 (EDSA) and other major and feeder roads.
The EDA Busway is expected to enhance the existing EDSA Carousel to address the high demand for transport services along the median of EDSA and feeder roads by increasing capacity and service reliability.
The project also involves the introduction of electric buses that reduce carbon emissions along the heavily congested corridors of Metro Manila.
