The queue at the train station in Hradec Králové will probably repeat

HRADEC KRÁLOVÉ - The tender worth half a billion crowns for the construction of a new bus station in Hradec Králové is likely to be repeated. According to city officials, the city could benefit from it. This was stated by today's Deníky Bohemia in the supplement for the Hradec Králové district. The tender for the bus station was recently canceled by the antitrust office. The city can either reissue the competition or file an appeal against the office's ruling.
"All companies know what offers their competitors submitted and will try to drive prices down. The city can save millions that way," said the deputy mayor of Hradec Králové, Alois Tuháček. The city should decide on the possible announcement of a new competition next week.
According to Tuháček, repeating the tender would delay the start of construction by three months. If the construction of the bus terminal is not completed by the end of 2007, the city will lose a subsidy of 62 million crowns from European Union funds. "I don’t think that’s a risk. Companies are capable of completing the work on time. On the contrary, filing an appeal or perhaps even a court case would be more complicated," said the deputy.
In the first tender, a consortium of companies led by ŽS Brno won, offering a price of 437 million crowns excluding value-added tax. However, Skanska CZ, which finished in second place with a price of 459 million crowns, appealed the result to the Office for Protection of Competition.
Skanska CZ was dissatisfied that ŽS Brno allegedly failed to meet one of the tender conditions regarding the screening of candidates by the National Security Office. However, the antitrust office stated that this condition should not have been included at all, and canceled the competition.
The regional capital does not yet have a classic bus station, and its construction is one of the top priorities for the city hall. Buses currently depart from makeshift stands near the train station and from a nearby panel area.