4 groups vie for LRT 2 contract

MANILA, Philippines - Four groups led by the tandem of Metro Pacific Investments Corp. and Ayala Corp., San Miguel Corp., Aboitiz Equity Ventures, and DMCI are vying for a contract to operate and maintain the Light Rail Transit lines 2 (LRT-2).

Michael Arthur Sagcal, spokesperson of the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC), said the four groups yesterday submitted qualification documents for the public private partnership (PPP) project.

Sagcal said the four groups are LRM2 Consoritum of Light Rail Manila Consortium composed of MPIC and Ayala; San Miguel-Korea Rail consortium; DM Consunji Inc.-Tokyo Metro consortium; and Aboitiz Equity Ventures-SMRT Transport Solutions consortium.

The operation and maintenance (O&M) contract would be valid for 10 years wherein the winner would operate and maintain the existing 13.8-kilometer LRT-2 from C. M. Recto Ave. in Avenida, Manila to Santolan in Pasig City with 11 stations as well as the proposed P9.7-billion extension project covering an additional two stations all the way to Masinag in Antipolo City.

The winner would also operate and maintain other future extensions of the LRT-2 system including the proposed extension to Port Area in Manila.

Close to a dozen companies have expressed interest in the project including LRMC, SMC, GT Capital Holdings of taipan George SK Ty, DMCI, Marubeni Corp. of Japan, RATP Development, APT Global Inc., Globalvia of Spain, listed Aboitiz Equity Ventures, RATP Transdev Group, and RATP Transdev Asia.

Sagcal said the agency’s Bids and Awards Committee would announce the qualified bidders for the project by the end of February.

Sagcal said the submission of bids would be in the second half of the year.

Meanwhile, the DOTC yesterday awarded the P2.27 billion contract to DMCI for the construction of a viaduct further extending the LRT-2 all the way to Masinag in Cainta, Rizal.

Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya said the contract which involves the construction of a 3.9-kilometer elevated guideway for the LRT-2 East Extension has been awarded to DMCI as part of the government’s railway modernization program.

“Railway modernization entails improving infrastructure and shifting services towards better customer-orientation. Our projects for LRT-2 will make fast, affordable, and convenient transportation accessible to residents of the densely-populated parts of Rizal, such as Antipolo and Cainta,” Abaya said.

DMCI would have 18 months to complete the civil works for the elevated guideway or viaduct.

The P9.7-billion LRT-2 extension is expected to further increase the current 200,000 daily passenger volume of the mass transit system that traverses the cities of Manila, San Juan, Quezon City, Marikina, and Pasig.