VIJAYAWADA: Following the guidelines of Andhra Pradesh Infrastructure (transparency preview) Bill 2019, the AP State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) submitted the tender documentation copy pertaining to introduction of electric buses for judicial preview to Justice B Siva Shankar Rao on Monday. In September, the APSRTC began the process of introducing 350 electric buses on gross cost contract method for a period of 12 years and invited tenders in this regard. As per the notification, the company who secures the tender will be paid on the basis of operations per kilometre by the Corporation.
Interested companies were asked to quote their bids on or before October 14, while financial bids were to be evaluated on November 1 followed by reverse bidding on November 6.As per the tender notification, the RTC identified preliminary routes on which the electric buses will ply including Vijayawada-Gudivada-Bhimavaram, Vijayawada-Gannavaram- Hanuman junction, Jaggaihpet- Machilipatnam, Nuzvid-Kodada-Amaravati, Vijayawada-Mangalagiri,Tirupati- Tirumala,Visakha- Yalamanchili-Bhimili-Kakinada-Rajamahendravaram-Amalapuram. Meanwhile, the electric bus manufacturers were ordered to supply nine metre long buses for operating between Tirupati and Tirumala and 12 metre long buses for plying in Amaravati, Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada and Kakinada.
However, the Corporation extended the deadline for quoting bids till October 21 due to various reasons. Two days before evaluating the reverse bidding procedure, following directions from Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, the higher authorities in the Corporation cancelled the procedure and decided to go for judicial preview before finalising the bids.
“To ensure transparency in the tender procedure, the documentation related to introduction of electric buses is available on www.judicialpreview.ap.gov.in and objections, suggestions from the public will be accepted on or before December 3,’’ said APSRTC chief mechanical engineer GV Ravi Varma.