Parking facilities: Saudi-German venture ‘will win contract’

LPC committee to approve award after one more presentation, says chairman.

LAHORE:

A joint venture between Saudi company Advanced Global Communication Networks and German firm Green Park will most likely be awarded the contract to manage the city’s parking sites, Lahore Parking Company (LPC) Chairman Mian Nauman said on Saturday.

Though the Saudi-German venture was the only bidder to get approval for the contract, there had been reports that fresh bids would be invited because the LPC committee charged with assessing their proposal was unsatisfied with a presentation given by the companies on their plans to manage Lahore’s parking facilities. The committee includes LPC board members as well as city and provincial government representatives.

The presentation was made to the committee before Eid. LPC officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said that the committee members had been unimpressed, as the presenters had mostly spoken about how capable the companies were, rather than giving specific details on how and when it would take over and automate the city’s parking lots. The Saudi and German firms were told to make another presentation to the committee and it was scheduled for this week, the officials said.



AGCN Operations Director Nauman Saeed said that they had informed the LPC that they were ready to make another presentation. He said that the committee had sought more details on their proposal.

They were working closely with the LPC management in preparing the presentation to the committee’s satisfaction, he added, but refused to give details on when the joint venture, if approved, would be able to take over and manage the parking sites in Lahore.

LPC Acting Managing Director Usman Qayyum said that the joint venture had indicated to him four days ago that it was ready for another presentation. He said that they had worked with the LPC on the presentation and he believed they had addressed more than 90 per cent of the questions raised by the committee at the last briefing. The presentation would be held within 10 days, he said. If the joint venture was awarded the contract, he said, they would generate revenue of Rs9.3 billion in seven years.

LPC Chairman Mian Nauman said that reports that the committee had been unhappy with the first presentation were not true, as it had merely sought more details.

He said he was quite sure that AGCN and Green Park would get the contract and there would be no fresh tenders. He said that government officials from Saudi Arabia were expected to attend the upcoming presentation. He added that the LPC was in discussion with the two firms about the possibility of installing mechanical parking elevators in parts of the city to address congestion issues.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 3^rd, 2013.