FOUR big bus companies in the country have signified their interest to join in the bidding for the P18.6 billion transport modernization project of Davao City dubbed as High Priority Bus System (HPBS).
HPBS spokesperson Norman Baloro said on Wednesday, January 29, based on the information he got, there were four big local and Manila-based companies who are interested to join in the bidding scheduled in February.
He did not divulge yet the names of these companies but he stressed that the number could increase since more companies have sent their letter of intent to the city.
Baloro said the company who wins in the bidding will also be determined in February.
The City Government is now fast-tracking the process in accordance to the directive of Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio.
“We have a bidding process. We will call on bus company owners who have the capacity, and right after that we will order the buses based on the budget,” Baloro said.
Baloro said one of their primary considerations in choosing a company is their credibility in delivering quality service, aside from their financial capacity.
The City Government wants only one company to take over the HPBS project instead of different individuals so that the responsibility only sits with a single individual.
There will be 1,000 buses expected to be running in the city streets to replace around 6,600 public utility jeepneys (PUJ).
The budget for the HPBS project will be coming from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) through a loan package. The city has also allocated P250 million for the assistance to be given to the affected individuals.
Based on the data from the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB)-Davao, there were around 6,600 PUJ operators in the city who owns the 7,000 units. If each unit has two drivers, there will be more than 20,000 drivers and operators who will be affected by this project.
Baloro added that the Floirendo family has donated four hectares of land in Marapangi, Toril, Davao City to serve as the terminal where all the buses will be housed and also to serve as their garage and for maintenance.
By October, Baloro is expecting that 160 buses will start plying in priority areas which include Toril with 100 buses (66 bus stops), Catalunan Grande with 50 buses (54 bus stops), and Diversion Road with 10 buses (48 bus stops). Other areas will soon follow.
To date, Baloro said there are a total of 234 drivers who submitted their letter of intent to apply for both financial and non-financial assistance.
However, Baloro underscored that those who will buy PUJ within the year will be disqualified from the assistance as the city government has reminded the public not to buy or sell any franchise now that HPBS project is in underway.
Baloro, in a previous report, said the city will not be confiscating phased out jeepneys. In case they wanted to convert it as a private vehicle, they can coordinate with LTFRB for the process.