Olongapo SubicBay BatangGapo Newscenter

Wednesday, January 17, 2007

BCDA to bid out 3 service areas along Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway

The Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) will be ready to bid out at least three service areas along the Subic-Clark Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX) by the first week of March, according to Bambi Andal of the operations and maintenance division of the project management office (PMO) of the SCTEX.

Andal said the Clark to Subic stretch will be divided into two service areas while the Clark to Tarlac portion will be the third service area.

Four service areas were actually planned, two for each direction.

However, Andal explained, the fourth service area would have to be bid out at a later date because of some legal problems.

The service areas, Andal said, would be for use primarily as a gasoline station with accompanying restaurants and food service stores.

The service areas are for lease or joint venture and would cover about five hectares each.

The BCDA needs to secure an exemption from the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to conduct the bidding for the service areas in March.

Andal said, the BCDA is now buying the lots for the planned service areas. However, she refused to reveal the acquisition cost of the lots as it could affect the price of other lots the BCDA is securing for other service areas.

Earlier, the BCDA had announced that at least 12 companies have expressed interest in bidding for the 10-year operation and maintenance of the SCTEX).

The 12 companies have submitted their letters of intent to participate in the bidding for the operation and maintenance of the 93.77-km SCTEX.

The SCTEX is expected to be completed by the end of this year. Among those that have expressed interest to participate in the bidding are First Philippine Holdings Corp., Mideast Alliance Resources Corp., SNC Lavalin International, Ausphil Tollways Corp., Pacific Concrete Products Inc., UEM-MARA Philippines Corp., R.D. Policarpio Co. Inc., Metro Pacific Investments Corp., Ayala Property Management Corp., STAR Infrastructure Development Corp., J.V. Angeles Construction Corp., and Pietras Builders Inc.

The operation and maintenance contract would cover toll collection, traffic management, roadway maintenance, general administration, greening and landscaping.

Andal said the BCDA has set a ceiling bid of 12.2 percent from toll fees collected within the 10-year contract period.

According to Andal, "if the winning bidder bids five percent, then the firm would receive five percent of the toll fees collected every year for the 10-year contract period."

Andal said that the rest of the toll fees collected would be allotted for debt servicing of the loan used to finance construction of the toll road.

The BCDA bankrolled the construction of the project through a P21-billion loan from the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC).

The BCDA also secured a standby P2.5-billion credit line facility from local banks to ensure that construction of the 93.77-km toll road would be finished on schedule.

Andal said the contract for the operation and maintenance would take effect on May 13 of this year and expire on May 3, 2017.

She added, "we expect the winning bidder to be on board by May this year to familiarize them with the state-of-the-art toll collection system set in place to ensure the smooth operations of toll collection."

Andal said the toll collection system is comparable to that of the North Luzon Expressway.

Its key features include a toll operation center computer system (TOCCS) and plaza computer system (PCS) with real time lane status display that is upgradeable to accommodate video incident capture.

Other major components are a lane computer system (LCS) capable of both manual collection and recyclable contact less smart card designed for quick passage by motorists.
By Marianne V. Go - The Philippine Star

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