The Turks, officially out of the game. Astra Vagoane and a Chinese company to deliver 100 trams to Bucharest

The Bucharest City Council sent on Tuesday to the Astra Passenger Car Association (Romania) – CRRC Qingdao Sifang (China) a “Communication on the outcome of the award procedure «Purchase of 100 trams»”.

Through this address, the aforementioned association is notified that the successful bidder of the contracting procedure has been appointed and that the date and time on which the contract will be signed will be communicated.

The Romanian-Chinese partnership received 100 points, respectively the maximum possible, from the City Council of the capital in the last evaluation of the offers.

The City Council will pay 840 million lei for the 100 pieces of Astra trams.

Astra Vagoane also offers trams in Cluj Napoca, Galaţi, Oradea and Arad.

The Turks, initially designated winners

The tender for 100 trams had originally been won by the Turks at Durmazlar Makine.

But in early December, the National Council for Appeals Settlement (CNSC) overturned the award decision by which the Turks were named winners.

The offer of the Turks had several problems, among them the width of the tram, over the allowed one, of maximum 2.45 meters (the proposed Panorama model is 2.65 meters) and the absence of homologation activities at RINA Services Spa, Agency proposed in the offer of homologation of the tram.

In addition, the CNSN also established that the Turks from Durmazlar did not present the schedule for the delivery of trams in the initial offer, this was delivered only when the contracting authority, that is, the City Council of the capital, requested clarifications.

Furthermore, the CNSC obliged the City Council of the capital to pay the amount of 35,000 lei to Astra Vagoane Călători SA, which represents the expenses with the lawyers.

However, the City Council of the capital challenged the CNSC’s decision in the Bucharest Court of Appeal.

But on June 24, the Bucharest Court of Appeal ruled in favor of the disputed association with the Turkish company. More precisely, the Court rejected the actions brought by the City Council and Durmazlar against the CNSC decision of December 2019 that ruled in favor of the Romanian-Chinese producer.