The ÚOHS confirmed the exclusion of PVM from the tender for the second section of the metro D, an appeal can be filed

Brno/Praha - The Antimonopoly Office confirmed, based on expert opinions, that the exclusion of the consortium of companies Porr, Vinci, and Marti (PVM) from the tender for the second part of the Prague metro line D from Olbrachtova to Nové Dvory was correct. The decision is not yet final and an appeal can be lodged with the chairman of the office. The office informed about this in a press release. However, the Prague Public Transit Company (DPP) still cannot sign a contract with the selected supplier. ČTK requested a statement from DPP. According to its spokesperson Lucie Obdržálková, Porr plans to file an appeal.

The decision means that the public transit company correctly proceeded with the exclusion of PVM from the tender. Based on the decision of the Office for Competition (ÚOHS) from this March, it still cannot sign a contract with the selected supplier, as it must re-evaluate all offers, choose a winner again, and consider the legal opinion of ÚOHS.

Porr spokesperson Obdržálková told ČTK that the company is reviewing the decision. "Our position, however, remains unchanged - we believe that our offer met all the requirements of the contracting authority and should have been selected as the most advantageous for the implementation of the project. Therefore, in cooperation with our legal team, we are preparing an appeal to the chairman of ÚOHS," she stated.

This is the last proceeding that ÚOHS has led in connection with the second part of the metro D. The tender, in which the Prague Public Transit Company selected the consortium led by Subterra as the winner, was contested by construction companies Strabag and PVM. At their request, the office annulled the decision on the selection of the winner, which was definitely confirmed in March this year by ÚOHS chairman Petr Mlsna. The PVM consortium also contested its exclusion from the tender at ÚOHS. However, in this case, they were unsuccessful with their objections, and the antimonopoly office has now confirmed the actions of DPP.

The office requested an expert opinion from the Klokner Institute of the Czech Technical University in Prague, which specializes in underground construction. "Based on the submitted expert opinion and considering the expert opinions and assessments presented by the participants in the proceeding, the office subsequently concluded that the applicant's schedule has shortcomings that cause it to be inconsistent with the tender conditions," the office stated in the press release.

PVM can file an appeal against the decision to the chairman of the office.

DPP selected the supplier for the second part of the metro last August. The selection of the consortium led by Subterra in 2023 was contested by the PVM consortium, and the public transit company subsequently canceled the selection of the winner of the contract, but not the tender itself. Last August, the winner was chosen again, again a consortium led by Subterra.

The construction of the new metro line began in 2022. A one-kilometer section between the stations Pankrác and Olbrachtova is under construction, and the second section from Olbrachtova to Nové Dvory is to follow. Furthermore, builders will construct a section from Nové Dvory to the Písnice Depot. The original expected completion date was 2029, but due to disputes, it will likely be postponed, and commissioning is now anticipated in 2031.