Government contracting model for public bus industry
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GeBiz: https://www.gebiz.gov.sg/scripts/main.do?doctype=TT&doc=LTA000ETT14000210&extSystemCode=E
(1) ELIGIBILITY: ... (c) who have proven expertise and experience in operating a fleet of at least 250 buses
(2) NON-DISCLOSURE AGREEMENT (NDA)
(3) Evaluation of the Tender will be carried out using the Analytic Hierarchical Process.Closing date: 5 Jan 2015
My initial comments:
Pretty obvious the government wants to keep the lobbyists out. Prospective operators must sign the NDA before they are allowed to receive a copy of the tender documents.
Having previously seen a copy of a Transperth parcel tender and the level of detail it contains, I can fully understand why the government is insisting on a NDA.
The area tendered is too large in my opinion...this effectively grants the winner a mandated monopoly for a period of at least 5 years. The "wooing a girl" analogy is a pretty poor example given by LTA in the video. Where is the competition after the tendering process?
I have to remind everyone that a new operator does not necessitate a better operator. I know of Australian bus operators who are more than ready to throw you off the bus for anything they do not like and they are bidding for this parcel tender.
On the aspect of customer service, I am very disappointed with what I am seeing in the tendering model. LTA must take on a greater role in customer service and have a part in investigating complaints, or else the passenger basically has little recourse because the operator is free to act like a Mafia.
The current situation of bumping complaints to the operator will be inadequate under the new model. The operator will be free to filter off complaints that are not escalated to LTA and treat them lightly, which is already happening right now. I am worried that given the winning operator has to set up their own customer management system, this might actually be the case.
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Originally posted by sgbuses:
GeBiz: https://www.gebiz.gov.sg/scripts/main.do?doctype=TT&doc=LTA000ETT14000210&extSystemCode=E
My initial comments:
Pretty obvious the government wants to keep the lobbyists out. Prospective operators must sign the NDA before they are allowed to receive a copy of the tender documents.
Having previously seen a copy of a Transperth parcel tender and the level of detail it contains, I can fully understand why the government is insisting on a NDA.
The area tendered is too large in my opinion...this effectively grants the winner a mandated monopoly for a period of at least 5 years. The "wooing a girl" analogy is a pretty poor example given by LTA in the video.
I have to remind everyone that a new operator does not necessitate a better operator. I know of Australian bus operators who are more than ready to throw you off the bus for anything they do not like and they are bidding for this parcel tender.
On the aspect of customer service, I am very disappointed with what I am seeing in the tendering mode. Hence LTA must take on a greater role in customer service and have a part in investigating complaints, or else the passenger basically has little recourse because the operator is free to act like a Mafia.
The current situation of bumping complaints to the operator will be inadequate under the new model. The operator will be free to filter off complaints that are not escalated to LTA and treat them lightly, which is already happening right now. I am worried that given the winning operator has to set up their own customer management system, this might actually be the case.
Don't you think SBS Transit and SMRT will still be making attempts to tender for these bus services?
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Originally posted by Gus.chong:
Don't you think SBS Transit and SMRT will still be making attempts to tender for these bus services?
Of course. This first tender is specifically designed to be zero-sum. The winning of this tender by any operator must necessitate another existing operator to lose territory.
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Originally posted by sgbuses:
Of course. This first tender is specifically designed to be zero-sum. The winning of this tender by any operator must necessitate another existing operator to lose territory.
So should I take it that only either SBS Transit or SMRT will win the first tender?
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Originally posted by Gus.chong:
So should I take it that only either SBS Transit or SMRT will win the first tender?
No. Anyone can win as long as they are assessed to be the best operator for this first tender.
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Originally posted by sgbuses:
No. Anyone can win as long as they are assessed to be the best operator for this first tender.
Understood...but I still hope that SBS Transit will be able to win the tender for all these bus services...it is time to go back to the golden SBS days.
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Yes I also support sbs transit to win the first parcel tender!!! Cheers!
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Think let the new operator handle Buona Vista,Ghim Moh,Kent Ridge,Expo terminal and Upp East Coast.Arbp,Cgbp and Smrt Amdep can let them handle
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http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/hot-interest-bidding-first-bus-routes-opens?singlepage=true
Summary of Today's article:
- At least 6 interested bidders
- SMRT is a confirmed bidder (of course, it involves their territory)
- SBS Transit "keep its cards close to the chest" (as usual)
- More London/UK operators express interest: Arriva, Transdev, RATP
- Existing operators likely to make recruitment of drivers of prospective foreign bidders difficult, to hinder the chances of their bids succeeding. -
I foresee a huge wastage of initial outlay of funds. Number plates and panels have to be changed on all affected stops involving the 26 bus services. Infrastructure at interchanges and depots have to be changed due to change of bus companies. Hope this project will turn out well. Let's see who will be the winner in due course! Cheers.
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Originally posted by dupdup77:
I foresee a huge wastage of initial outlay of funds. Number plates and panels have to be changed on all affected stops involving the 26 bus services. Infrastructure at interchanges and depots have to be changed due to change of bus companies. Hope this project will turn out well. Let's see who will be the winner in due course! Cheers.
Hmm, correct me if Im wrong.
Looking at the bus contracting model, I believe all the bus assets, bus stops/interchange/depots and panels will be under LTA. Hence, my interpretation is that all the buses will be changed to LTA livery and bus number plates will be all changed to the LTA colours. The buses to be used on the routes tendered out will be the current bus assets that SBS and SMRT have, but managed by LTA now to be given to the bus routes regardless of operators. So, we probably will not really know which operator is managing which bus routes...
In 5 years time, I believe, it will mark the end of seeing the iconic SBS Transit and SMRT liveries.
What the operators need to do is to ensure service standards. Since costs and profit is not a consideration anymore after 2016 as government will be giving them a fixed fee annually for managing the bus routes. All costs and revenue will be under the Government.
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Originally posted by SBST163:
Hmm, correct me if Im wrong.
Looking at the bus contracting model, I believe all the bus assets, bus stops/interchange/depots and panels will be under LTA. Hence, my interpretation is that all the buses will be changed to LTA livery and bus number plates will be all changed to the LTA colours. The buses to be used on the routes tendered out will be the current bus assets that SBS and SMRT have, but managed by LTA now to be given to the bus routes regardless of operators. So, we probably will not really know which operator is managing which bus routes...
In 5 years time, I believe, it will mark the end of seeing the iconic SBS Transit and SMRT liveries.
What the operators need to do is to ensure service standards. Since costs and profit is not a consideration anymore after 2016 as government will be giving them a fixed fee annually for managing the bus routes. All costs and revenue will be under the Government.
Although the assets will be under LTA, there should still be a prominent logo/livery to differentiate the individual companies.
Otherwise, it is nearly impossible for the public to direct their feedback to the bus co itself and that would be contrary to requirement of handling customer feedback/complaints.
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Originally posted by sgbuses:
http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/hot-interest-bidding-first-bus-routes-opens?singlepage=true
Summary of Today's article:
- At least 6 interested bidders
- SMRT is a confirmed bidder (of course, it involves their territory)
- SBS Transit "keep its cards close to the chest" (as usual)
- More London/UK operators express interest: Arriva, Transdev, RATP
- Existing operators likely to make recruitment of drivers of prospective foreign bidders difficult, to hinder the chances of their bids succeeding.For the last point regarding recruitment of drivers, there is apparently a large enough supply of people willing to be bus captain, but most are being held back by red tape and lack of resources.
From what I understand from a friend, the current next training slot for sbst drivers starts 3 months away in december, while smrt recruitment is overloaded with applicants that the lead time from application to contract signing is at least a month.
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Originally posted by Bus Stopping:
Although the assets will be under LTA, there should still be a prominent logo/livery to differentiate the individual companies.
Otherwise, it is nearly impossible for the public to direct their feedback to the bus co itself and that would be contrary to requirement of handling customer feedback/complaints.
I would think this is the case, given that LTA is asking operators to set up their own customer hotlines. I am rather disappointed that LTA chose this option because a lot of feedback will be filtered at the operator level and they would be just as blind as to what is happening on the ground without an escalation or ground surveys.
But repainting the livery every five years just does not make sense, as Melbourne has eventually found out:
I suppose the most likely scenario is for the logo to the placed around the entrance door/driver cab as well as a logo at the front.
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Originally posted by Bus Stopping:
For the last point regarding recruitment of drivers, there is apparently a large enough supply of people willing to be bus captain, but most are being held back by red tape and lack of resources.
From what I understand from a friend, the current next training slot for sbst drivers starts 3 months away in december, while smrt recruitment is overloaded with applicants that the lead time from application to contract signing is at least a month.
Foreign or local drivers?
It would have been funny if it wasn't so sad. For many years it has been known that there is a chronic shortage of drivers that is preventing the improvement of bus services. That is what eventually pushed the government over the edge to implement this system.
Human resource appears to a very large focus for the parcel tender. SMRT's latest announcement on their employment scheme during the carnival is a reflection of that. Assuming what you say is correct and SBS Transit and SMRT Buses does not buck up with recruitment, they can expect to lose this first parcel tender to foreign operators.
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Originally posted by sgbuses:
I would think this is the case, given that LTA is asking operators to set up their own customer hotlines. I am rather disappointed that LTA chose this option because a lot of feedback will be filtered at the operator level and they would be just as blind as to what is happening on the ground without an escalation or ground surveys.
But repainting the livery every five years just does not make sense, as Melbourne has eventually found out:
I suppose the most likely scenario is for the logo to the placed around the entrance door/driver cab as well as a logo at the front.
I see your point on customer feedback and I think that's a good point to make on the upcoming parcel tender system.
It makes more sense that all feedback are routed through LTA and issued a specific case number. At least all feedbacks (be it nonsense or useful) can be tracked and replied within a baseline service standard as well. They could also review these to get a feel of what's on the ground.
I am disappointed too if this path is taken.
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Originally posted by sgbuses:
Foreign or local drivers?
It would have been funny if it wasn't so sad. For many years it has been known that there is a chronic shortage of drivers that is preventing the improvement of bus services. That is what eventually pushed the government over the edge to implement this system.
Human resource appears to a very large focus for the parcel tender. SMRT's latest announcement on their employment scheme during the carnival is a reflection of that. Assuming what you say is correct and SBS Transit and SMRT Buses does not buck up with recruitment, they can expect to lose this first parcel tender to foreign operators.
The applicants currently are mostly non locals (majority from our neighbour up north), but i'm surprised too to see that the bottleneck is now not with limited supply of drivers and rather with the HR/training.
It can't be totally blamed on the current PTOs too, since new bus captains have to undergo a ~30 days training with sbst and ~7 weeks with smrt regardless whether they have a CL4/5 license and/or Bus Driver Vocational License and/or speaks acceptable amount of english.
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By the official "so-called" contract parcels date, there will be a U turn and it will be back to square one...
Either tt the current operators operate with one holding company and subsidiaries structure -
If either local or foreign co join as the third player i might be joining back as either BC or route master
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Originally posted by sgbuses:
GeBiz: https://www.gebiz.gov.sg/scripts/main.do?doctype=TT&doc=LTA000ETT14000210&extSystemCode=E
My initial comments:
Pretty obvious the government wants to keep the lobbyists out. Prospective operators must sign the NDA before they are allowed to receive a copy of the tender documents.
Having previously seen a copy of a Transperth parcel tender and the level of detail it contains, I can fully understand why the government is insisting on a NDA.
The area tendered is too large in my opinion...this effectively grants the winner a mandated monopoly for a period of at least 5 years. The "wooing a girl" analogy is a pretty poor example given by LTA in the video. Where is the competition after the tendering process?
I have to remind everyone that a new operator does not necessitate a better operator. I know of Australian bus operators who are more than ready to throw you off the bus for anything they do not like and they are bidding for this parcel tender.
On the aspect of customer service, I am very disappointed with what I am seeing in the tendering model. LTA must take on a greater role in customer service and have a part in investigating complaints, or else the passenger basically has little recourse because the operator is free to act like a Mafia.
The current situation of bumping complaints to the operator will be inadequate under the new model. The operator will be free to filter off complaints that are not escalated to LTA and treat them lightly, which is already happening right now. I am worried that given the winning operator has to set up their own customer management system, this might actually be the case.
Which Australian operator? Swan Transit? I'm glad Kalamunda went over to Path Transit. -
i hope a new local bus company will take over instead of a Foreign company. And maybe for the paint on the body of the bus take a look at this DTL mrt it will be something like that with the operator logo and LTA logo. I hope the maintaince and servicing of buses will tender out also to a local company.
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I think LTA should set up a hot line or facebook for those users of the transport who like to complain or feedback. i think people can use that LTA hot line dial 1800-LTA.
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First 26 service and buses all tio LTA livery with a bit of either SBST,SMRTB or the new stickers,PTOs are allowed to have ads on the buses or trains body though..Whatever it is the two incumbents will have nothing to lose cause all under same father,hahaha
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Originally posted by carbikebus:
First 26 service and buses all tio LTA livery with a bit of either SBST,SMRTB or the new stickers,PTOs are allowed to have ads on the buses or trains body though..Whatever it is the two incumbents will have nothing to lose cause all under same father,hahaha
THat's why I say WTS is the most deserving of the lot. And they don't even need to supply their own buses because they are using Transitlink fleet. -
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