LRT-1 Cavite extension likely to miss 2020 target
Light Rail Manila Corp. ( LRMC), the consortium which bagged the P65 billion Light Rail Transit ( LRT) Line 1 Cavite Extension project may miss its 2020 target to complete the train line’s extension given right of way issues and failed bidding for purchase of new trains.
“It’s likely to be delayed, not just the right of way but the question on trains,” Metro Pacific Investments Corp. ( MPIC) president and chief executive officer Jose Ma. Lim told reporters.
MPIC’s Metro Pacific Light Rail Corp., Ayala Corp.’ s AC Infrastructure Holdings Corp. and Macquarie Infrastructure Holdings ( Philippines) PTE Ltd. make up LRMC which assumed operations of the LRT- 1 currently covering Roosevelt station in Quezon City until Baclaran station in Pasay City, in September last year.
To start construction of the 11.7- kilometer extension of the L RT- 1 , LRMC would need to be given the notice to proceed which could only be issued by the government when the right of way and detailed engineering design for the project are finalized.
The detailed engineering could only be completed by LRMC when the right of way has been delivered and informal settlers are relocated.
Apart from right of way, LRMC also sees the failed bidding for the new light rail vehicles ( LRV) for the LRT- 1 as a concern. The Department of Transportation and Communications ( DOTC) declared the March bidding for the procurement of new LRVs a failure as Japanese firms did not make offers for the deal.
DOTC Secretary Joseph Abaya said earlier the surge in demand for rolling stocks in Japan given Tokyo’s hosting of the 2020 Olympics, is expected to have affected Japanese firms’ interest to take part in the auction.
Only Japanese- led companies or consortia can bid for the contract as the procurement of the 120 LRVs is being funded by a loan from the Japan International Cooperation Agency ( JICA).
“JICA has to decide whether they will rebid or negotiate it or untie the loan so that it can be sourced from elsewhere. We have no visibility there. That is between JICA and DOTC,” Lim said.