Bidding set for new ICT infra project

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) will start the bidding of a new information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure project for the country’s land transportation system next month.

DOTC Secretary Manuel Roxas II said the bidding for a new ICT solutions provider would be conducted as the department’s existing automation contract with Stradcom Corp. would expire in February next year.

Bidding firms for the project, he said, should be able to design, build, finance, operate, service, and maintain the new ICT system to be used by offices of the Land Transportation Office.

The DOTC said bidding firms must have proven track record of implementing and maintaining wide-scale ICT systems.

The new system, it also said, should enable web-based, kiosk, and desktop transactions.

The project, it said, would have two phases with the first phase involving motor vehicle registration system including manufacturers, assemblers, importers, dealers accreditation and reporting system; drivers’ licensing system; and revenue collection, and the second phase covering law enforcement and traffic adjudication system; transportation information system; geographical information system and executive information system.

The new system for the LTO was among the projects worth a total of P133 billion approved by the National Economic and Development Authority Board in a meeting held last week.

The DOTC said the new system should be ready and operational by January 2013.

Roxas said the new system is expected to be able to handle about 18 million transactions per day once completed.

“We’re looking for a robust and cost-effective solution that should be able to manage multiple transactions over a period of seven years, each transaction should cost approximately P80,” he said.

“We want a ‘self-liquidating’ IT (information technology) solution that would allow the government to earn from it, not drain the national coffers,” he said further.

In February, Stradcom said it submitted a new proposal to renew its contract for the LTO’s IT system.

Stradcom had said the government should honor its rights under its concession deal citing that it would be difficult for any other corporation to beat its proposal and it would allow the government to continue providing the services at zero cost.