Penang Watch

Trams are coming back in other cities -how about George Town ? 

Terms of Reference. 

To establish the economic and technical feasibility of a tram service in the City of George Town as an alternative means of public transport and as a tourist attraction. 

Introduction:

A small group of residents of the City of George Town (the Sponsors)who are interested to established an electric tram service in the City wish to commission a short preliminary study to determine the feasibility or otherwise of such a service. The purpose of the study will be firstly, to convince the public, opinion makers and sceptical decision makers and secondly, to interest potential investors.

Detailed Terms of Reference: 

1. The Consultant will be required to compare the technical, economic and other advantages of trams against trolley buses and diesel buses. It will be necessary for him to determine the capital and the operating costs of each system for a period of at least 7 years. For the purpose of the comparison he will use two routes as the basis: i) a route identical or very close to that of the free MPPP shuttle bus service and ii) a service from KOMTAR to Ayer Itam Town.
2. Assuming that it can be demonstrated that trams are superior to the other alternatives the Consultant will be required to map out the routes that will adequately cover the City of George Town. For the purpose of this exercise George Town will be all that area bounded by Tg Bungah, Ayer Itam and Minden Heights to the South and West and by the sea to the East.
3. As it will be necessary to implement the entire tram service in stages, the Consultant will be required to recommend the number of phases for the implementation of the service, and the scope and extent of each phase or stage. (While the Consultant is free to make his recommendations, he is encouraged to consider the current free shuttle bus route as the 1st phase).
4. For every phase the Consultant is required to establish the investment and operating costs (including number of employees) and the technical and economic viability, on the assumption that each is a stand-alone phase independent of the other phases. This will take the form of a cash flow and a profit and loss projection for a 7-year period at least.
5. In preparing the cost of investments the Consultant will be required to give a breakdown of the costs by types of equipment; i.e. rails tracks, electrical systems and rolling stock etc.
6. Given that the amount of fare and integrity of the ticketing system will to a very large extent determine the success of the scheme, the Consultant will be required to recommend a proven system to ensure that leakages of revenue will be kept to a minimum. It will be particularly desirable if the ticketing system can be extended to include other modes of public transport in Penang.
7. For every phase the Consultant will be required to determine the tram stops and the fare structure (s).  
8. The Consultant will be required to make a forecast of traffic volumes for the period under study.
9. The Consultant will have to identify the site or sites required for a central maintenance depot and the electrical sub-stations.
10. It is believed that there are some equipment left over from the previous tram system. The Consultant will be required to establish how much are still available, where they are and if they are still useable.
11. The Consultant will have to present outline specifications of the system (including the major components) that he proposes. While the specification can be brief, but it should be sufficiently detailed to make further discussions with officials and investors meaningful. A list of the major equipment suppliers and contractors will also be required

Work Schedule. 

It is expected the whole study will not take more than two weeks. One week will be spent in the field and the other week will be in the Consultant’s home base. The Consultant will be required to give an estimate when he can start the study and present the draft and final reports. 

Assistance from the Sponsors of this study. 

The Consultant can expect the Sponsors of this study to provide all assistance, especially in making introductions to local officials and to obtain such data as is available locally. 

Variations to the TOR. 

The Consultant is encouraged to propose variations to the TOR that he considers necessary before he starts his study, for consideration by the Sponsors.  

Cost of study. 

The Consultant is required to submit an estimate of his fees and other costs (broken down in detail), which will be agreed to by the Sponsors before he begins his work. 

Qualifications of the Consultant. 

The Consultant must be a transport engineer who has had at least 5 years relevant experience, preferably in tram systems either as an operator or an a building contractor. He will be required to submit his detailed CV with his proposal.