Jan 28 - GSD Asks Further Questions About Bus Tender
The GSD opposition is calling on the Government to set out the measures it has taken to ensure the safety and integrity of parts of Europa Road for the use of the new buses, which, the Government itself had previously explained, were too heavy for safe use along that route.
The GSD is also calling on the Government to deal with the matters raised in the Opposition's press release last week calling for Government to publish details of the other tenders received for the contract for the new buses, the contract which was ultimately awarded to Bassadone Motors.
Opposition spokesman for Transport, Selwyn Figueras, said: “The Government has not replied to the questions I raised last week about the tender process in much the same way as they won't answer the questions we ask in Parliament about this and many other issues.
"The Government has not even brought itself to confirm whether the tender was ultimately awarded to the lowest bidder. We are told that Dennis buses, which provide the blue buses which served us so well for as long as they did, had submitted an even more competitive tender than that of Bassadone Motors, to provide buses of the kind the community has come to know and rely upon as fit for purpose all these many years.
“The GSD contends that the details and process of the award of the contract, which took some two years to effect, should be published so that the community understand why the contract was awarded the way it was. In that way, the Government has the opportunity to dispel any notion that the award of this contract was made for reasons other than the suitability of the buses, or indeed, the value proposition of Bassadone's tender versus the others.'"
