Three ventures have been shortlisted for the Bursa metro project and will be invited to contractual negotiations with the city's municipality in December, contractors say (MEED 1:11:96). The three ventures were awarded the highest scores out of five bidders in technical and financial evaluations by a municipality tender commission.

The three ventures of foreign and local companies with their prices and scores are:

Sweden's Adtranz with Yapi Merkezi - $455.6 million (100 points)

the UK/French GEC Alsthom with Sezai Turkes-Feyzi Akkaya - $354 million (88.35 points)

Germany's Siemens and Italy's Ansaldo Trasporti with locals Simko, Guris and Tuvasas - $437 million (88.03 points)

The other two bidders were:

Canada's SNC Lavalin International, Bombardier and UTDC System with the local Gama - $418.5 million (61.99 points)

France's Cegelec with the local Akfen - $401 million (59.00 points)

Bidders have been asked for 100 per cent credit financing offers. The municipality aims to award a contract by the end of 1996 for a construction start in 1997. Completion will take around 900 days.

The first stage, of about 20 kilometres, will run between the city's organised industrial zone and Kestel district, passing through the Mudanya Street junction, Fomura, Hasim Iscan street, Tayyareci Ali Bey Street and Gursu. The contract will cover construction, manufacturing and erection works including operation and maintenance facilities, as well as the supply and manufacturing of cars and locomotives. Once the first stage is commissioned, about 36 trains will carry an estimated 15,000 passengers an hour.