Contract language delays tram decision; New project manager should be chosen by next week

A confidentiality clause in the project management contract to finish work on Cuenca’s tram system has delayed announcement of the winning bidder.

Tram work on Av. España.

Several city council members objected to the clause and said that all information relating to the contract should be public. “All terms of the contract must be transparent,” according to councilor Dora Ordóñez. “Nothing should be kept from the public.”

City tram project coordinator Edison Castro said that the language protecting some contract information has been changed and sent to the two bidders, one Chinese and the other French. “We’ve made the correction and we expect to move forward with naming the new manager in the coming days.” Castro said the document that concerned Ordóñez and other council members was a “working paper” and not the final contract.

According to Ordóñez, the bid of the Chinese company is lower than that of the French consortium but its technical qualifications are not as strong. She later clarified that her comments were “unofficial.”

The city has earmarked $32 million to complete the project within 300 days.