Shipyard workers want to know why Translink went offshore and awarded a contract to a shipyard in the Netherlands to build another Seabus.
Shipyard General Workers Federation President George MacPherson says Allied Shipyards of Vancouver, one of the rejected bidders, has the expertise for the project, “We’re absolutely amazed by it. We got a local bidder that bid the project. I’m told he had a good price. The shipyard that bid on the thing is less than two kilometers from where it’s actually going to run and for them to pick up and go offshore with a vessel this size it’s insane.”
Translink’s Bob Paddon says they went with the Netherlands shipyard because it was the lowest bid of three. He was asked where Translink gets the money for this project when it doesn’t have the money for others like more bus service south of the Fraser, “Most of this is being paid for by the Federal Government gas tax transfer program. We’ve had a great program in place where we get 120 million a year from the Fed gas taxes.”
This fourth Seabus will replace one of the originals built back in the 70’s.
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