Mass Rapid Transit Authority Thailand to roll with its Orange Line rail bid plan
Will file an appeal against the injunction with Supreme Administrative Court
The Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA) says it will go ahead with its plan to open the auction for the construction of the Orange Line electric train next month, despite an injunction that orders the authority to delay enforcement of the amended bidding criteria.
MRTA governor Pakapong Sirikantaramas said the authority will receive bids on Nov 9 as planned since the court’s injunction did not order it to delay the auction of the Orange Line project.
The MRTA will file an appeal against the injunction with the Supreme Administrative Court, the governor said.
The Central Administrative Court earlier this week ruled that the MRTA must stick with the old bidding criteria for its Orange Line project.
The MRTA might consider the bidders’ qualifications first and delay considering their technical proposals until the Supreme Administrative Court rules on the MRTA’s appeal, the governor said.
Mr Pakapong, however, said it also depended on the MRTA’s bidding selection committee to decide whether to delay receiving bid envelopes on Nov 9 or cancel the auction.
The Bangkok Mass Transit System Plc (BTSC), which operates the BTS Skytrain, last month filed a lawsuit with the Administrative Court against the MRTA over changes to the RFP (request for proposal) made after the purchase of bid envelopes.
The previous bidding terms considered those who promised the highest financial return; the amended version would take into account two factors — the technical aspects of the project and the financial return.
The Orange Line western extension will link the Thailand Cultural Centre with Bang Khun Non in the Thon Buri area.
Source: https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/2006031/mrta-to-roll-with-rail-bid-plan
