Astra Vagoane Călători Arad may deliver the first "Imperio" street cars in Cluj-Napoca

The first "Imperio" street cars, made in Arad at the streetcar plant of Astra Vagoane Călători may be delivered this year in Cluj Napoca.

More to the point, we are talking about 12 streetcars which the officials of the company of Arad wanted to deliver to the administration of Cluj following the participation in a call for tenders held at the end of last year by the Mayoralty of Cluj-Napoca. Even if it failed to win the call for tenders, the dispute filed with the National Council for Disputes admitted that not all of the conditions set by the tender book were met.

"Based on the documents submitted by the parties, the National Council for Disputes has decided: it partially admits the contestation made by S.C. Astra Vagoane Călători S.A., in its disagreement with the Mayoralty of the City of Cluj-Napoca, namely the criticism concerning the streetcar doors, of the address no. 2005/2/09.01.2012, and thereby rejects the request for an intervention. Cancels the report of the procedure and the addresses by which the result of the procedure was announced, as subsequent acts of the procedural report. Requires the contracting authority to reanalyze and to reevaluate the offers, within 10 days from receiving the decision of the Council, in compliance with the terms stipulated in the justification and with the provisions of the law. Decides that the awarding procedure will need to continue, in compliance with what was previously decided".

The president of the Astra group of companies, Valer Blidar, who is the main shareholder of Astra Vagoane Călători Arad, says that his company participated in the electronic auction held in November last year for the delivery of 12 streetcars to the mayoralty of Cluj-Napoca, in competition with a Polish company. The results of the call for tenders were announced at the end of last year, as the Polish company was declared a winner, but the company of Arad has challenged the outcome.

Valer Blidar said that the Polish streetcar does not comply with the requirements of the tender book, because the floor is not completely sunk and not all of the streetcar doors are double. Furthermore, the Polish streetcar uses 50% more energy than the one manufactured in Arad in association with Siemens. The majority shareholder of Astra Vagoane Călători Arad also said that the offer of the Polish company is only 3.9% lower than the price of the Romanian-made "Imperio" street car, which costs 1,528,000 Euros.

The president of the Astra group of companies said that, after the dispute was admitted, the mayoralty of Cluj would have to buy the "Imperio" streetcars, the delivery of which would take place this year.

The mayoralty of Cluj Napoca can opt to award the contract to Astra Vagoane Arad, which made the second best bid, even though its streetcars cost 429,000 Euros more than those of the Polish company, to cancel the call for bids or to challenge the decision of the National Commission for Disputes by filing a complaint with the Court of Appeal of Cluj.

The Romanian street car "Imperio", manufactured by Astra Vagoane Călători Arad in association with Siemens, was first presented to the public in August 2011, when it circulated for the first time in the center of Arad.