IDB, CAF award metro consultancy contract

IDB and the Andean Development Corporation ( CAF) have awarded the Panama City subway consultancy contract to a consortium consisting of Swiss firm Poyry, Mexican Cal y Mayor, and Panamanian company Geo Consult, Panama's presidential website reported. The consortium made the best technical offer for the consultancy contract, which had a fixed price of 2mn balboas (US$2mn), according to Metro ministry executive secretary Roberto Roy. Poyry-Cal y Mayor-Geo Consult was one of six consortiums shortlisted in August by IDB and CAF to carry out the consultancy work. The other consortiums were URS Holdings and Parsons-Brinkerhoff (both US), Sener-Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB) and Metro de Madrid (both Spain), and Coteba (France). In addition to presenting a conceptual design, the consortium will have to draft bidding rules for the design and construction of the line, the provision of rolling stock, the supply and installation of signaling material, and communications systems. The consortium will have nine months to carry out the consultancy work, Roy said. The construction of the metro is a flagship project for President Ricardo Martinelli, who created the position of executive secretary for the subway system on July 1, the day he took office.