<DL class=userinfo_extra><DT>Join Date <DD>Jun 2012 </DD><DT>Posts <DD>21 </DD></DL>
Below are some of the questions raised:
1. Why tender came out on 3rd day of CNY when most bikes company not yet back to work?
2. bikehop called itself a tour company but biz office location dodgy
3. if bikehop is a tour company it is not listed on official state trust website
More details below:
http://forums.fuckwarezone.com.sg/ea...r-3814897.html
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SIM37_
Member
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 451
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CSI attempt: nParks Brompton procurement process ended up with a dodgy winning bidder!
<!-- / icon and title --><!-- message -->After watching the TV show about the nParks brompton purchase. I've got more serious questions about this particular "company" that won the tender.
Note: I've no question over the model selection as I know the quality of a brompton bicycle. Besides the tender process, I just have these key questions/observations as to the eventual winner of this tender, a company known as "bikehop".
This company Bikehop,
Are they a bicycle shop?
Are they a tour agency?
Are they an online shop?
I can't figure this out.
Their registered address is a terrace house in a residential area at Siak Kew Ave (Potong Pasir area). It doesn't operate as a brick/motar bicycle shop nor does it apparantly have any links online to sell bicycles. The issue of whether they can provide actual technical/mechanical support and assistance is questioned. Brompton's authorised distributor and their network of dealers in Singapore offer a standard 5 year warranty on frames and 2 year on parts, exceeding the tender requirements by a lot! With only $50 more expensive then the eventual winning bid.
Also, I notice that there are strict regulations pertaining to registering a company as a tour agency. Their website and apparantly their youtube channel potray themselves as a tour agency conducting tours in Singapore and overseas?
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Besides doing the usual procedures of company registration with a Key executive and directors, they must also have these two KEY elements.
Paid-up Capital – The company must have paid-up capital of at least S$100,000.
Email Address and TRUST – The company must have a website to operate the business. The company must also observe the “Terms and Conditions for the Use of the Travel Related Users’ System (TRUST)”. The TRUST website is a state-sanctioned website that provides relevant information, resources and advice related to the travel industry in Singapore.
I went to the TRUST website (
https://trust.yoursingapore.com/trus...RY&FORMAT=HTML) and searched for the comapny Bikehop.
They were not listed there. Either they are not a registered tour agency or have not updated their information. TRUST lists all the up to dat information on all licensed travel/tour agents in Singapore. But judging from their videos and website, the company has at least been around for almost a year?
Office Space and Signboard – The company must set up a business office dedicated solely to travel agency operations. The space cannot be shared with any other type of business. An easily visible signboard that reflects the nature your business must be erected. If you are an individual freelance travel agent conducting business from home, in either an HDB flat or private accommodation, you must obtain approval from the Housing Development Board or Urban Redevelopment Authority before the STB will give you your license.
I don't seem to recall having seen any Tour Agency operating from the purported terrace house in Siak Kew Avenue. And since a tour agency CANNOT be shared with any other type of business, the question again I ask.
"Are they a bike shop?"
or
"Are they a tour agency?"
So besides information about the tender, what I also noticed was this.
The notice of tender was drawn up on 19 Jan, just before Chinese new year and put up on the gebiz site on 3rd day of Chinese New Year?
If I want to place a open tender bidding, I would want MAXIMUM exposure to all in the industry for them to have time to come up with their offers.
1. Which bicycle shop do you know in Singapore opens on 3rd day of CNY and will scan the gebiz website that has a tender that expires in a few days time?
2. None of any brompton's official distributor or their local dealer networks knew about the deal.
3. Even if the authorised distributor submitted a bid, they can still be beaten by their own dealer networks, the auth distro is under obligation not to undercut their retailer networks (The irony in this situation is that nParks potentially can get their bromptons possibly much cheaper and WITH full warranty mech/tech support).
The points that I have brought up, meant that obtaining bromptons from bikehop isn't the best deal by far.
The eventual sole offer submitted was 2 models from the same company.
1. with 26 bromptons with a price tag $2200 each, $50 off the stated retail price from the local distro.
1. A "bike friday" foldable bike with $2500 as the price.
So to Minister Khaw, the tender process does is indeed questionable.
If there are seasoned riders and bicycle dealers consulted before this tender process was implemented. Why was it that.
1. The tender seemed to be timed in such a way to MINIMIZE exposure to the cycling industry, only 3-4 days after CNY. And we know a lot of bicycle retailers (and many other business for that matter) in Singapore actually close that week.
2. The eventual winner legitimacy as a bike shop? An online store? A tour agency?
3. Mechanical support. While bromptons can last very long. I known of a brompton owner that doesn't really maintain his bike but rides regularly, the bike still works after 10 over years.
4. nParks DID have a brompton workshop with the authorized dealers, the proof can be found in on 4 Sep 2011 which can be seen in diginexx's photo page on facebook. (
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?...5051949&type=3)
Forty-six Diginexx's Brompton riders visited Hort Park on Sunday 4 September and spent an afternoon hanging out with fellow B riders, having fun learning how to change their tubes, tyres and degrease their bike chains. The sturdy stand pump owned by Yih Yng was a saviour to many! Many thanks to Bernard Lim of the National Park Board for the kind use of the Multi-Purpose Hall, thank you very much to our helpful elves, David, Steven, YM, Tommy, Gary, Danny and Patrick, Noelle, Joyce and Fabian! Photos credits to Danny, Fabian, Noelle and Patrick! Thank you for a great afternoon of camaraderie and friendship!
A supposed nParks staff actually PRESENTING a Park Connector Network plan to the participants.
5. How were there other models evaluated in the tender?
Ah well, the irony of the situation is, that if nparks had bought 26 Toyota Prius, there wouldn't be too much ruckus over it isn't it? After all $57,200 can't even buy a stupid COE nowadays.
My $0.02 without GST.
Those who want to view the details of the tender can go to
http://www.gebiz.gov.sg/scripts/main...118?tab=notice
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waiken, HeeroYuy84, uchujin and 19 others like this.
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