Midtown Urbanist
Superstar
Fool me thrice, call for Trudeau to bail them out.Fool me once, shame on you.... fool me twice, shame on me.
Fool me thrice, call for Trudeau to bail them out.Fool me once, shame on you.... fool me twice, shame on me.
This begs the question, why didn't we just buy off the shelf units for this project? Then we wouldn't need a prototype for testing, instead we'd simply buy whatever was in Bombardier's catalogue. Are Toronto's needs (as opposed to "wants") so different than the rest of Bombardier's customers?
Put them on notice - any deviation from the timetable and the contract is over.
AoD
I wonder what the terms of the contract are. If Bombardier's contract for light rail vehicles for Metrolinx or streetcars for the TTC gets delayed more than X months, does Metrolinx or the TTC have the right to cancel it? Maybe we will end up with Siemens or Alstom LRVs on Eglinton.
Good question though, as always, the cancelling of contracts needs to take into account the implications that may have on overall timeline—it's always possible that cancellation winds up delaying the process even more than Bombardier's tardiness would/will.
Put them on notice - any deviation from the timetable and the contract is over.
Given it took 9 years from the start of the tender process, to the first production vehicle, and even the worst-case scenario doesn't foresee another 9 years (2025) for completion of the contract - then I'd think that not only is it possible that cancellation will end up delaying the process - it's highly probable.
And that ignores the likely much higher cost!
Perhaps the best thing TTC could do is issue a tender for 60 additional vehicles, with an option for 200 more. While Metrolinx issues a tender for Hamilton vehicles, with an option on many more. TTC has until delivery of the 60th car to decide whether to take out another option; and that's over a year away currently.
And then who do you go to?
That can get expensive.Their competitor? I know, it's not as ideal as one makes it to be, but clearly neither is the current arrangement, where the city is being played like a violin.