Standard bus inspection for safe commuting

The Transport Bureau (DSAT) said that it will implement special inspection work on all public buses in Macau shortly in a bid to ensure safe and quality commuting for local people.
Since the open auction for public bus services has already begun, the bureau also said that it will “try the best” to do well in the follow-up work including tender evaluations and to assist companies to launch the services as scheduled so as to ensure a “smooth transition” from the old to the new model of bus operations.
“The DSAT will maintain close contact with the existing bus companies to understand the staff’s demands and then to make corresponding arrangements properly,” according to a statement released yesterday.
Although there is “still room to improve” in the bus services, the DSAT said, the statistics showed that the two operators made more than 185,000 bus trips in average per month, up by 23 percent when compared to before the two-year temporary bus concession contracts were signed last year.
The two companies have also employed a total of 671 drivers, representing an increase of over 20 percent.
The 25 new buses committed by the companies have also been put into operation, and there are plans to reward eligible staff members by an industry money award in order to boost their overall morale.
Meanwhile, starting late last year the DSAT had adjusted 15 bus routes, introduced seven new routes and 15 bus stops in three different phases, as well as extended the service network to Macau’s north-east, Taipa’s north-east and the Macau Dome.
To encourage the use of public transportation, advance public infrastructure for sustainable development and promote barrier-free public transportation, the bureau in late September launched the open auction for public bus services so as to bring in the new “service purchasing” mode of operation and further enhance flexibility in the services.
The current temporary bus concession contracts will expire on October 14, 2010.
The deadline to submit tender proposals ended at 5pm last Tuesday. The two existing operators, Transmac and TCM, and also a new France/Macau joint venture company Reolian had handed in their bids.
However, the bid opening committee on Wednesday decided not to accept TCM’s proposal, citing it was submitted four minutes after the deadline.
TCM is given 10 days to file an appeal to the DSAT, and it already did immediately on the same day. The company has about 255 full-time and part-time staff members and 177 buses.
At the same time Transmac and Reolian both got qualified for the tender. The biding prices set by Transmac and Reolian were respectively from around 1.079 billion to 1.190 billion patacas and from 772 million to 837 million patacas.
Despite the significant difference, the DSAT director said that the prices were not the only factor in evaluating the bids.