Indra Executive Says Vendor would Not have Relied Only on Price to Beat Cubic in London
Spain-based Indra Systems suggested that it beat out incumbent Cubic Transportation Systems for the award of London’s integrated revenue-collection contract because of a combination of factors, not only price, an Indra executive told Mobility Payments.
A contract signing for Indra, however, depends on whether Cubic is successful in its legal challenge to the contract award. Cubic filed the challenge Aug. 8, as Mobility Payments reported. Transport for London’s finance committee awarded the contract July 14, according to TfL officials, who have not revealed which vendor won.
The Indra executive, who could not be named because he was not authorized to speak about the London procurement, spoke with Mobility Payments in recent weeks. At times his comments drifted into the hypothetical. Most of the time they were squarely focused on why Indra would have beaten Cubic.
Cubic Execs Seek to Calm Worries among Agencies and Employees as Its Poor Showing in London and Lawsuit against TfL Sink in
Less than a week after the stunning disclosure by Cubic that it had filed a lawsuit against Transport for London seeking to challenge the loss of the agency’s coveted revenue-collection contract, executives are trying to allay concerns among other transport agencies and employees.
In a previously scheduled “town hall” meeting
Breaking: Cubic Transportation Systems Files Legal Challenge to Transport for London Decision on Revenue-Collection Contract Award
Cubic Transportation Systems president Peter Montgomery-Torrellas told employees today that the vendor was legally challenging the decision last month by Transport for London on award of its lucrative revenue-collection contract. While Montgomery-Torrellas didn’t mention it in his memo (see below), there is no doubt now that TfL had awarded the contract to Cubic rival Indra Systems of Spain.
The companywide memo confirms a report by Mobility Payments yesterday that Cubic was likely planning to challenge the award, approved by Transport for London’s finance committee July 14.
Is Cubic Challenging London Decision? Sources Say Vendor Sent ‘Letter’ to TfL about Contract Award; CEO Today Said Contract ‘Still in a Standstill Period’
Cubic Corp. Chairman and CEO Stevan Slijepcevic, when asked during a companywide “town hall” meeting for employees today about the status of the London revenue-collection contract, said that the vendor is “still in a standstill period and thus cannot legally talk about it.”
If true, it would mean Transport for London’s large operations and maintenance contract has not yet been signed, despite the agency’s finance committee awarding the contract July 14, as Mobility Payments reported. The question is, why hasn’t TfL signed the deal?
‘Standstill’ Period Could End as Soon as Tomorrow; Will Transport for London Sign Revenue-Collection Contract Soon?
Transport for London is citing UK procurement law in response to questions from Mobility Payments about when it will announce the winner of its revenue-collection contract, which a TfL board committee awarded 10 days ago.
At issue appears to be the “standstill” period that is part of UK procurement legislation. Under the law that applies to the agency’s current revenue-collection contract procurement–the Public Contracts Regulations 2015–a public agency on a competitive procurement can’t enter into a contract for a minimum of 10 calendar days after notifying each bidder of the contract award.
Tip Sheet: Speculation Aside on Contract Winner, Losing London would be ‘Big Blow’ to Cubic
Also: Cubic, Other Vendors, Don’t Appeal Loss to Masabi in Montreal; Baltimore Transit Agency Plans Open Loop; but Timeline Unclear
Transport for London Committee Approves New Revenue-Collection Contract, but Agency Stays Mum on Winner; Speculation Grows
Transport for London’s finance committee approved the agency’s new revenue-collection contract earlier this week, but the agency declines to say who won, promising only that the winning vendor will be announced “in due course.”
As Mobility Payments reported on Friday, the committee’s much-anticipated decision determined whether TfL would stay with its long-term incumbent, U.S.-based Cubic Transportation Systems, or switch to challenger Indra Systems of Spain. These were the two short-listed vendors for the contract, as Mobility Payments has reported.
London Contract Award Decision Imminent; Cubic Faces Challenge from Spain’s Indra
Transport for London’s finance committee is scheduled to take a key vote on the proposed award of the agency’s new revenue-collection contract on Monday.
The much-anticipated contract decision is expected to be worth nearly
Masabi Wins Montreal Contract, Beating Out Cubic, Likely Conduent
UK-based Masabi has won a contract reported to be worth at least CA$125 million (US$91.1 million) from Montreal-area transport authority ARTM, beating out Cubic Transportation Systems, likely incumbent Conduent Transportation and four other suppliers.
It's one of the largest and most complex projects for UK-based software-as-as-service ticketing provider Masabi, which enables mobile ticketing for mostly small and some medium-sized North America transit agencies–not the size of ARTM.
Transport for London Expected to Reveal Winner of Major Revenue-Collection Contract within Weeks
Transport for London is expected to soon announce its long-awaited award of a major fare-system contract–choosing between two vendors, including incumbent Cubic Transportation Systems–Mobility Payments has learned.
The contact for the so-called Project Proteus could be worth up to