No guidelines yet for HPBS bidding

(Photo by Macky Lim)
(Photo by Macky Lim)

NO BIG bus companies have been considered in the bid to operate the High Priority Bus System (HPBS), a city official clarified as contrary to earlier reports.

Davao City Assistant Administrator Tristan Dwight Domingo said there were some bus companies and other private individuals who signified to take part in operating the HPBS, the city’s version of the mass transportation modernization program but nobody formally made a bid yet as guidelines are still being finalized.

“Wala pa ang terms of reference that would be based to whom should govern the operatorship,” Domingo said.

He issued the statement after HPBS social development program in-charge Norman Baloro said in a previous report that four big bus companies in the country have signified their interest to join the bidding for the P18.6 billion transport modernization project of the city.

Baloro said 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.

Domingo said they would still have to finalize the guidelines of qualified operators to the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) in a conference, as they would be ones who would have “the final say”.

“We are still finalizing unsa ang key performance requirements for bus operators. We cannot process anything as of now since wala pa ang terms of reference (We are still finalizing the key performance requirements for bus operators. We cannot process anything as of now since the terms of reference is not yet final),” he said.

Admittedly, the official said this is one of the factors why the first phase of HPBS, which will ply in the routes of Toril, Catalunan Grande, and Carlos P. Garcia National Highway (Diversion Road), will not be able to operate within the first quarter of the year.

Although he said the project is still on-track since pre-implementation consultation already commenced since last year.

“It may not be as faster as it would since we have to balance in our goal to implement it within the year. But still we have enough time to implement it within this year,” Domingo said.

Meanwhile, once the guidelines will be finalized, he said it would be more convenient if the bidding selection would be limited to five.

He said only one operator will man the bus system. He added it will be a huge reduction from the 6,985 public utility jeepney operators.

“Ideally, the lesser operators we have, the easier to manage the entire system,” Domingo said, adding problems such as defective buses, late bus stop arrivals, and erring bus drivers will be immediately resolved. (RGL)

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