The Transportation Department has awarded the P4-billion transport terminal project in Taguig City to property developer Ayala Land Inc., after more than two months of delay.
The agency’s pre-qualificaton, bids and awards committee, in a letter dated Nov. 13, said it found the bid of Ayala Land for the South Integrated Transport System Project as the “best bid.”
The Transportation Department approved the recommendation of the committee and issued a notice of award to Ayala Land as the winning bidder.
South Integrated Terminal System is the second bus hub to be awarded under the public-private partnership program, after the P3.27-billion Southwest Integrated Terminal in Parañaque City was bagged by MWM Terminals, the consortium of Megawide Construction Corp. and WM Property Management Inc.
Ayala Land was given 20 days to sign the notice of award, a proof that the concessionaire meets the financial capability and qualification requirements including letters from banks expressing their willingness to provide credit.
The property developer will also submit P150 million in construction performance security and $775,100.79 as reimbursement for the the transaction advisory services for the project.
Ayala Land topped the auction in August for the P4-billion project. Ayala Land offered a lower annual grantor payment of P277.88 million, compared with the P1 billion offered by Filinvest Land Inc. The annual grantor payment is a fee to be paid by the government to the concessionaire.
The site of the ITS South Project is right next to Arca South in Taguig, where Ayala Land is developing an integrated mixed-use estate. About 4,000 buses and 160,000 passengers are expected to feed into the ITS South from the South Luzon Expressway every day.
Construction will begin by May 2016 and is expected to be completed and ready for operation by October 2017.
The winning bidder will take care of the design, construction, operation and maintenance of the terminal for a concession period of 35 years.
The project covers the construction of a terminal within a 4.7-hectare lot along the FTI Compound in Taguig City. It will connect passengers coming from the south, specifically Batangas and Laguna provinces, to other public utility vehicles that are serving inner Metro Manila.
The project also covers the construction of arrival and departure bays, public information systems, ticketing and baggage facilities and park-ride facilities.
The Transportation Department earlier awarded the P3.27-billion transport terminal in Parañaque City, to MWM Terminals of the Megawide group.
The Megawide group offered the lowest annual grantor payment of P100 million for the ITS Project southwest terminal. The project has a 35-year cooperation period.
The terminal, set to be built along the Manila-Cavite Expressway in Parañaque City, is designed to provide seamless transfers between different modes of transportation.
The government also plans to bid out the ITS North project, located near the Veterans Memorial Hospital in Quezon City.
