​​​​​​The Puerto Rico Highway and Transportation Authority (PRHTA) is issuing this Request for Proposals (“RFP”) to solicit proposals from Qualified Contractors for the operation and maintenance of eight (8) bus routes for the Tren Urbano (TU) feeder bus program which are operated by the Puerto Rico Highway and Transportation Authority (PRHTA) (“The Authority”).  The TU feeder consists of three subsystems: Metrobus, Metro Urbano and TU Conexión Services.


The Metrobús routes (E10 and T3 routes) run and extend through the heavy transited corridor between Tren Urbano Sagrado Corazón Station and the Covadonga Bus Terminal in Old San Juan, which are part of the main components of the trunk and feeder route structure that serves the San Juan Metropolitan Area.    Metrobus routes use the 20 Gillig 40 foot buses available to the Authority.


Metro Urbano routes (E20 and E30) are express commuter type services which feed Tren Urbano Bayamón and Cupey Stations from Toa Baja and Caguas respectively with stops only at the end points using the dynamic toll lanes (DTLs) available in PR-22 and PR-52/PR-18 respectively.  Metro Urbano routes use the ten NABI buses available to the Authority.  Eight of the buses are 42 foot and 2 articulated 60 foot buses.


TU Conexión service consists of four (4) fixed route bus service provided with smaller vehicles in areas where regular bus vehicles cannot be use due to geometrical limitations on the street network, or where travel demand cannot justify the use of regular transit buses in the vicinity of selected Tren Urbano Stations (Sagrado Corazón and Piñero).  TU Conexión use the 24 Ford/Glaval 29 foot Entorage buses.  


Bus transportation for special events shall be also required of the Contractor.  The special services will require additional trips or vehicles in service and extended hours of operation, as applicable.  Other special trip requests could be related to emergency incidents that could require the transportation of persons or staff located in distress areas.  


The Contractor shall be solely responsible, at its sole cost and expense, to administrate, operate and maintain all the (i) all administrative and maintenance facilities, (ii) all fixed route bus terminals (as appropriate) and (iii) the “Park-and-Ride” facilities for the Metro Urbano Subsystem as a part of this Contract, including all utilities and related costs.  


The Authority will provide the fleet for the use in the transit services. The Contractor shall be responsible for providing all non-revenue vehicles that are required for the performance of the Scope of Work.


The successful Proposer shall be awarded a Contract for an initial term of five year base term.  In addition to the base Term, Proposers are required to provide as a separate item identified in their Price Proposal, the cost for one five (5) year extension to the Contract.


As it is a sound practice to perform mid-life overhauls of transit buses, with ten to twelve years useful life, as part of Preventive Maintenance, The Authority expects that the Proposers take into account the mid-life overhaul of the appropriate buses in the fleet as part of their Fleet Management/Maintenance Plans and reflect said activity in the prices quoted in the Price Form. The Authority is committed to replace buses as they reach their end of useful life.


Proposers shall submit their Proposals at the Board of Awards Office on the Roberto Sánchez Vilella Government Center (Minillas) South Building, Eleventh Floor, De Diego Avenue, Stop 22, Santurce, Puerto Rico on or before 2:00 PM of June 29, 2022.  Said proposals will be publicly opened in a virtual meeting (via Cisco Webex Meetings) on June 30, 2022, at 10:00 AM. An invitation to access this meeting will be sent to those proposers who submitted proposals. 


A non-mandatory virtual (Webex) Pre-Qualifications Delivery Conference will be held at 10:00 AM on May 12, 2022.  An invitation to access the meeting will be sent to those proposers that have been registered at the Board of Awards Office. Although non-mandatory, attendance to this meeting is highly recommendable.  


Proposal documents and forms, and all necessary information may be obtained at the office of the Board of Awards of the Authority (the Board) located on the Eleventh floor, South Building, Roberto Sánchez Vilella Government Center (formerly Minillas), phone number (787)721-8787 extensions 51130 or 51134, from April 22, 2022, by filing a request for registering in this process to the following e-mail address: juntasubastas@dtop.pr.gov, until two (2) working days prior to the proposal due date.  The Board will send a registration form to the Proposer, and it shall be completed and send by e-mail to the Board.  These documents will be available only in digital format to be downloaded from a link that will be sent by e-mail after all the information in the registration form is validated.


The Puerto Rico Highway and Transportation Authority complies with regulation included in 49 CFR Part 26 for Disadvantaged Business Enterprises.  For more information, contact the Civil Rights Office, (787)729-1562, (787)721-8787 Ext. 51740, or write to Puerto Rico Highway and Transportation Authority, PO Box 42007, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00940-2007.  


To be eligible for the award of the contract for this project, a bidder shall comply with the special provision on the Utilization of Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBE) that is included in the contract documents.  Failure to comply with these requirements will be sufficient cause for the Authority to not award the contract.
Each proposal must be accompanied by a proposal guaranty of five percent (5%) of the bid submitted and copy of an updated certification for the Bidders Register from the General Services Administration.