2 months ago
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Minister of Transportation, Dr. Louis Zabaneh, has provided a detailed timeline of the tendering process that the government undertook to select a bus company for the E-Mobility Pilot Project. The minister’s detailed breakdown follows harsh criticism and allegations from the Belize Bus Operators Association (BBA). While the association is crying foul as it relates to the procurement process, Dr. Zabaneh stated that every bus company had the opportunity to submit a bid for consideration. He explained that not only was the deadline extended, but there was also a second round of tendering conducted.
Dr. Louis Zabaneh, Minister of Transport: “On August 26, 2024, the first Expression of Interest, EOI, was launched and widely shared via social media, national news outlets and radio stations. A video was also produced and publicized to explain the bidding process to operators on all news outlets. The EOI was formally shared with the BBA president for distribution to members. While the expected closure date was September 11, 2024, an extension was granted given the lack of interest and to reach more operators. On October 9, 2024, a pre-bidding meeting was held with seven interested operators to provide information on the bidding process, its requirements, and to clarify any questions. Minutes from the pre-bidding meeting is available. On November 15, 2024, the ministry received three bids. However, following evaluation, none of the bids were deemed satisfactory. On March 18, 2025 the EOI was relaunched and published on official government platforms. Copies were also shared directly with the BBA president and ministry officials followed up with individual operators to confirm receipt. A total of seven operators expressed interest via email. On April 30, 2025 the ministry received four bids before the submission deadline. On May 12, 2025 an evaluation committee reviewed the bids, applying the published criteria. On July 2, 2025, Westline Bus Company Limited achieved the highest overall score in both technical and financial assessments and was recommended for award of the management contract.”
According to Dr. Zabaneh, the evaluation panel comprised of a representative from the United Nations Development Fund (UNDP); the Public Private Partnership Unit in the Ministry of Energy and the Ministry of Transportation./
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