THE procurement process for the High Priority Bus System (HPBS) in Davao City will start this month, an official from the Department of Transportation (DOTr) confirmed.
DOTr Supervising Administrative Officer Nestor Kilian Tabada said in a radio interview that the procurement process will commence, adding that the planning stage for the HPBS project is almost over and the procurement process is up next.
He said this is considered as another big development in line with the completion of the transport modernization project in the city.
“This month, kining month of October, diri na gyud mag-kick-off ang atong procurement. Mag-start na siya within a few weeks time kung dili man, until the end of the month. Pahumanay tong planning then pagsugod sa procurement,” Tabada said in an interview on 87.5 FM Davao City Disaster Radio.
(This October, we will kick off the procurement phase. We will start in a few weeks or until the end of the month. The planning stage is almost done, after that, we will start with the procurement.)
The Transportation official said they are currently preparing the necessary documents and listing down the specifications before the bidding proper starts to ensure that the needed components are market-responsive.
He said the procurement process is the "most exciting" phase of the project as plans will come into reality and public doubts will gradually disappear.
He also said this is a challenging step of the project.
“Mao pod na ang challenge karon. As we finalize the planning stage, and we step into the procurement phase, dapat klaro and kumpleto ang specifications sa atong project,” he said.
(That is the challenge now as we finalize the planning stage and step into the procurement stage. We have to make sure that the specifications of the project are complete.)
Considering that the bus project is being implemented under the official development assistance of the Asia Development Bank (ADB), Tabada said they are also ensuring that the procurement process adheres to the guidelines set by the ADB in terms of economy, efficiency, fairness, transparency, quality and value for money.
“Ang tumong lang man (is to) make sure ang kuhaon nga contracts nga buhaton para ma-deliver quality gani, world-class ang quality so those guidelines are in place so that quality and value for money nga makuha from these contracts,” he said.
(The purpose of these guidelines is to make sure that the contracts that will be made can deliver world-class quality output.)
He said the HPBS project has three major components with its respective contract packages up for bidding. These include the public transport system improvement, institutional capacity strengthening, and social development program.
For the first component, he said there are four contract packages for the civil works; two for the bus fleets - both diesel and electric buses; and the intelligent transport system, which will integrate the HPBS system that includes the automated fare collection system, traffic signal priority, real-time passenger information system an app that will help the passengers track the busses. Another contract is for the general contractor.
For component 2, he said that it is mostly a consulting service. They will look for a firm that is eligible to operate the bus fleet that will also involve the organizational planning capacity building. Also, component 2 is a contract intended for firms that can operate a driving school for bus drivers.
For Component 3, Tabada said they are looking for consultants that can help implement the SDP. Part of it is for the external monitoring and evaluation consultant.
The DOTr official said they are optimistic that more employment opportunities will be generated during the implementation.
The HPBS project involves the delivery of a modern bus system for the city, wherein interconnected bus services will be prioritized within the 137-kilometer core network and feeder routes composed of 489-kilometer.
The city recently launched the first two routes of the Interim Bus System (IBS) Project in February and March 2021.
The IBS is the first phase of the HPBS, which is part of the Transport Roadmap of the City Government of Davao.
The City said the purpose of the roadmap is to support the improvement of transportation so that it prioritizes modes according to their economic, environmental, and community sustainability.
HPBS Manager and Assistant City Administrator lawyer Tristan Dwight Domingo said in a recent report that the bus project is expected to be fully operational in 2023. (with reports from CIO)