Belgrade is acquiring 100 new trams, based on private agreements with the Romanian factory "Astra", claims CLS. Why do trams come to us from Romania, if in Kragujevac there is a world-renowned brand of Siemens trams
The Center for Local Self-Government (CLS) announced that the Belgrade government has contacted the Romanian factory "Astra" in connection with the announced purchase of one hundred new tram, and on that occasion he reiterated the position that it is crucial that the job be awarded in an open and transparent public tender, and not through direct negotiations.
According to CLS, the estimated value of this procurement is 25 billion dinars, and the deadline for submitting bids has been postponed by 5. May.
It is about the so-called short trams, and the financing is planned from a loan, not through leasing - as is foreseen for the purchase of 300 new buses, CLS stated in a statement.
The center emphasized that it advocates for Belgrade to get some of the premium brands of trams, because it is a key procurement for the City Transport Company and an investment that will determine the quality of public transport in the decades to come. As CLS reminded, there is a world-renowned Siemens tram brand in Kragujevac, and Sarajevo also bought Stadler premium trams, through a loan from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
Private deals with a Romanian company
Nikola Jovanović from the Center for Local Self-Government tells "Vreme" that the bottom line is that the city authorities should not have entered into any private deals with the factories, but rather allowed the factories to freely compete in the tender.
"According to our sources, there is an attempt to negotiate directly with the Astra factory from Arad. It is not a premium brand. Why not allow the possibility of Siemens from Kragujevac getting a job in Belgrade? How did one Sarajevo buy 25 Stadler trams, and we buy the Turkish Bozankaya and negotiate with the Romanians?", says Jovanović.
As Jovanović explains, trams are "expensive and sophisticated means of transport" that last for several decades, so the purchase of trams affects the overall quality of public transport to a large extent.
The same trams cheaper in Timisoara
The trams of the Turkish company Bozankaya, as he claims, will cost Belgrade 3,23 million euros per piece, while they cost 1,94 million in Timisoara.
"The Turkish Bozankaya trams are used only in two European cities, both in Romania, and the delivery of 17 pieces this year in Timisoara will cost this city 33 million euros. In addition, the trams for Timisoara have a drive and a battery with an autonomy of up to 70 kilometers, and a capacity of as many as 251 passengers is planned," explains Jovanović.
Turkish buses are more expensive than Italian ones
In parallel with the procurement of new trams, the procurement of buses is also taking place. The City Transport Company (GSP) Belgrade made a decision to purchase 150 Turkish gas-powered buses, 100 of which are BMC articulated buses, which will be 100.000 euros more expensive than the Italian buses purchased by Athens.
"The first problem is that these two Turkish factories were the only bidders in the tender, BMC for articulated buses, and Otokar for solo buses, and the price offered is 31 million dinars higher than the tender value set by GSP," said Jovanović.
He also stated that the price of the bus is "unbelievably high", i.e. 480.000 euros for one articulated BMC bus, without tax, citing as an example for comparison that the Greek capital Athens bought 100 Iveco articulated gas buses this year at a price of 385.000 euros for one bus.
"The third problem is that the gas BMC buses have not performed well, according to the union, so it is not logical to rely only on this option in the long term," concluded Jovanović.
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