The bidding process

Abstract

The broad aim is to consider the arguments for and against competitive bidding (for tendering) to reflect on the documented experiences around the world, and to establish some positions for future evaluation of the role of bidding as an alternative or complementary approach to regulation, deregulation etc. The practical issues of implementation and monitoring are discussed, as well as the extent to which competitive bidding can be applied to direct and non‐direct transport services. Can it succeed at the individual route level? Should it be network‐level strategy? What about support services? Are cost‐only contracts preferred to minimum‐subsidy (bottom line) contracts, or franchise?

Key words:

• Bidding
• competition
• contracts
• tendering
• applications