3 separate tenders, only 1 bidder: Plan to buy 1,000 buses at slow pace
A retired transport corporation official said that bus procurement prices would be competitive only if more companies participate in the bidding process.
Representative image (File)
CHENNAI: The Institute of Road Transport (IRT), the central purchasing unit of the state transport undertakings, has received a single bid for three separate tenders to procure a total of 1,000 buses.
The IRT has floated three tenders to procure - 450 buses of 1250 mm floor height, 400 buses of 1200 mm floor height, and 150 fully built low-floor buses of 400 mm floor height for six state transport undertakings.
IRT opened the bids for procurement of 450 buses and 400 buses tender on July 25 while the bid for 150 low-floor buses opened on August 4. IRT opened the bids for procurement of 450 buses and 400 buses tender on July 25 while the bid for 150 low-floor buses opened on August 4. All three tenders have received a single bid only, sources said, adding that the financial bids for the high-floor buses have been opened.
A retired transport corporation official said that bus procurement prices would be competitive only if more companies participate in the bidding process. “Processing and awarding contract to a single bidder always raise doubts,” the retired official noted.
According to the tender documents, six state transport undertakings - TNSTC Villupuram, Salem, Coimbatore, Kumbakonam, Madurai and Tirunelveli would get new buses. TNSTC Kumbakonam would get a maximum of 250 buses including 38 low-floor buses followed by TNSTC Madurai and Villupuram would get 220 buses and 180 buses. TNSTC Tirunelveli and Madurai would get 130 buses and 120 buses each while TNSTC Salem get 100 buses.
MTC would get its share buses when the bids were opened for the procurement of the German funding agency KfW funded 1771 buses were opened on August 24. Out of the 1771 buses, MTC would get 402 buses as its share while other STUs except SETC will get the rest of the buses. On the procurement of the KfW buses, the Madras High Court has restricted the procurement of 1107 buses with a floor height of 900 mm to 950 buses and procure 157 low-floor buses which would be accessible to all on the petition filed by disabled rights activist Vaishnavi Jayakumar. However, the IRT is yet to float a separate tender for the procurement of 157 low-floor buses.
IRT will also open a tender for the procurement of 1000 buses for mofussil and SETC express operation on August 12.
