LISBON, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) -- The six candidates for the public concession to operate Porto's metro system were announced by Metro do Porto on Monday.
Barraqueiro, Avanza, DST, Mota-Engil, Neopul and Transdev will compete for the concession, which lasts for 7 years. The winning company or consortium will be responsible for passenger security and support, fleet renewal, track and signalling maintenance, and ticketing systems. The contract is worth 221 million euros.
Of the six tenders, Barraqueiro is a familiar name in that it is part of the ViaPorto consortium that currently runs the Porto metro.
France's Transdev also has history, having previously won a contract to run Porto's metro, only to have it rescinded by the current government.
The previous government, led by the Social Democratic Party (PSD), had sought to privatize the Lisbon and Porto metro networks, as recommended by international lenders of the European Union, International Monetary Fund and European Central Bank under the 78 billion euros bailout program signed in 2011. The PSD granted the Porto metro to Transdev.
But when the Socialist Party (PS) took over parliament in November 2015, one of its first acts was to halt the privatization process of the Lisbon and Porto metros. The PS duly voided Transdev's contract.
A jury will now study the six proposals and report back to the Porto Metro's board of directors, whose members will then select the winning bid. Cost is the primary criteria.
The concession starts on April 1, 2018.
