The Master Plan includes 90 stations to provide transport service for Panama City and its metropolitan area: San Miguelito, Arraiján and La Chorrera.
The director of the Panama Metro, Roberto Roy presented the master plan for the Metro which proposes a network of eight lines planned for 2040, which includes line 1 which is in operation and line 2, which is under construction.
The possibility of tendering Metro feeder routes and Metro Bus in Panama City and San Miguelito is being analyzed.
Government Minister Milton Henriquez, said that the aim of the eventual granting in concession of routes by tender is "... that transportation be a single integrated system which includes the Metro, Metro Bus and feeder routes."
The president of the National Chamber of Transport, Dionisio Ortega told Prensa.com that "...
‘Metro Bus Panama’, one of the consortiums bidding for designing and operating the project, has proposed a “bus leasing system”.
On May 26, three consortiums submitted their proposals for ‘Metro Bus’, a public transportation system. The bid by ‘Grupo Express’ was priced at $275 million, the one by ‘Transporte Masivo de Panamá’ at $269 million, and ‘Metro Bus Panama’ presented the lowest priced one at $30 million.
“Metro Bus Panama”, “Express del Futuro”, and “Transporte Masivo de Panamá” were the three consortiums submitting bids.
Only three consortiums will participate in the bidding for designing, supplying and operating the new transportation system.
“Jorge Ricardo Fábrega, Government and Justice vice minister, explained that they will verify the required guarantees, which must correspond to 100% of the price of the bid”, reported Prensa.com.
The public bidding process for the Metro Bus transportation system has been pushed back once again.
It was originally scheduled for March 29, was later moved to April 6, and yesterday the Panamanian presidency confirmed it will be officially done on April 28.
Prensa.com reported that a large portion of the participating companies requested to postpone the date.
Companies from several countries declared their interest in developing the $270 million public transportation project.
This project will complement the Metro System, and comprises acquiring urban buses for the capital city and San Miguelito. It has attracted companies from Brazil, Colombia, Chile, United States, Germany, Mexico, Argentina, Korea, Russia, Sweden and Panama.
The project comprises design, procurement and operation of a new public transportation system for Panama City.
In the proposal, candidate companies must include a passenger demand study, route design, operations plan, driver training plans, and maintenance and user information programs. They must also provide a fleet reposition plan and an investment program in terminals.
The government will proceed to publish the bidding rules, hoping to award the concession by March 2010.
The announcement was made by Presidential minister Jimmy Papadimitriu, who explained that "... this means that by March 2011, the new operator will have renewed the entire bus fleet, marking the end of the 'Red Devils' era [colloquial name for traditional buses]".
The first contract for "Metro Bus", a new transportation system, will be awarded on March 29th, 2010.
This project will renew the current bus fleet with air conditioned, high capacity vehicles, but will commence with existing 'Red Devil' buses ("Diablos Rojos").
Demetrio Papadimitriu, presidential minister, remarked that the system "... will feature a 'one ticket system', using rechargeable cards", reports Pa-digital.com.pa.