Finance Office - Procurement Management
Airport Taxi Operating Services
RFP #269-2016-040
Addendum 2
To:
All Prospective Companies
Date:
April 19, 2016
Subject:
Addendum 2 – RFP #269-2016-040 Airport Taxi Operating Services
Please note the specification changes/modifications below for the RFP.
Item #
Page #
Section #
Specification(s)
Modifications and Questions
NOTICE: The Airport will be amending the Rules to incorporate all changes mentioned in the Answers
provided below.
11, 23
Section
3.5, Exhibit
A Item 2
Term
13
Section 4.1
Cover Letter
3
2
1.4.7
City’s Rights and
Options
4
3
1.6.2
Trade Secret
1
2
Modification:
All mentions of the Term of the Operating
Agreements are hereby changed to a one (1) year
initial term plus five (5) additional, optional one (1)
year renewal terms.
Modification:
The last sentence of Section 4.1 is hereby
amended to read as follows:
The cover letter shall present the Company's
understanding of the Project and a summary of the
approach to be undertaken to perform the Services.
Service Provider Question:
Please clarify what is meant in this section by “with
or without re-solicitation”.
Answer:
This language means that the City may award part
or all of the Services to any Company that submits a
Proposal at any point in the Evaluation or Council
approval process without requiring that they submit
a new Proposal.
Service Provider Question:
If a Company elects to include financial information,
can this be marked as Trade Secret or Confidential?
Answer:
Some financial data may be marked as Trade
Secret per Section 1.6.2.
Finance Office - Procurement Management
Management and Financial Services/City of Charlotte 600 East Fourth Street
Phone: 704/336-2256 Fax: 704/336-2258
1
Charlotte, NC 28202-2850
Item #
Page #
Section #
Specification(s)
Modifications and Questions
Service Provider Question:
Please clarify what is meant by the Proposal being
a firm offer.
5
4
1.6.4
Proposal Terms
6
6
2.1
Service Initiation
7
10
3.2
Permits
Answer:
This section indicates that Companies shall be
required to provide the Services at the standard
indicated in their Proposal. The level of Service will
be dictated by the Operating Agreements.
Service Provider Question:
How much time will Companies awarded Operating
Agreements have to prepare to provide the
Services?
Answer:
Companies will be given at least sixty (60) days
from the execution of the Operating Agreement to
bring their vehicles into compliance with the
Airport’s Rules.
Service Provider Question:
Please identify, including name and position title,
the staff that will be responsible for the overseeing
Airport Taxi operations.
Answer:
The Taxi operations are currently managed by the
Landside Manager, Valerie Boston.
Service Provider Question:
Please clarify the second paragraph in Section 3.2.
Specifically, what will be the process of allocating
the 170 Permits? How would any additional Permits
be allocated?
Answer:
The City’s decision to award 170 Permits is based
on recommendations provided by a competitivelysolicited ground transportation consulting firm, Taxi
Research Partners. They provided a comprehensive
8
10
3.2
Permits
review of all Airport ground transportation options,
compared the Airport to other similar airports
around the world, and studied the Charlotte market.
170 Permits is their recommendation of the best fit
for the Charlotte area but this number will be
assessed annually. Among other intents, the Airport
strives to provide high quality service to passengers
while also allowing Taxi drivers the ability to make a
living wage. The Airport anticipates allotting an
equal number of Permits to all Companies awarded
Operating Agreements.
Service Provider Question:
Will the new holding lot be able to accommodate
9
10
3.2
Permits
170 Taxis? Where will it be located? When will it be
available for use?
Finance Office - Procurement Management
Management and Financial Services/City of Charlotte 600 East Fourth Street Charlotte, NC 28202-2850
Phone: 704/336-2256 Fax: 704/336-2258
2
Item #
Page #
Section #
Specification(s)
Modifications and Questions
Answer:
At this time, the holding lot has not been
constructed nor the location determined. However,
the existing Taxi holding lot and other designated
overflow areas will accommodate all Permitted
Taxis.
Service Provider Question:
Does the Airport intend to change the number of
Permits during the term of the Operating
Agreement? If so, how much notice will Companies
have?
10
11
10-11
11
3.2
3.3
Permits
Schedules
Answer:
The Airport will annually assess the required
number of Permits and provide at least sixty (60)
days’ notice of plans to adjust the number of
Permits.
Service Provider Question:
Once the Schedule Arrangement has been
determined by the Airport, will there be any changes
or modifications during the term of the Operating
Agreement? Will the Airport allow a Company to
modify driver shifts or drivers assigned to a specific
shift throughout the term of the Operating
Agreement? What happens if there is a time where
a driver exceeds his or her maximum fifty (50) hours
per week? Will the driver be permitted to enter the
Airport and deliver services? How will the Airport
track these hours?
Answer:
Once the schedules are established, they remain
consistent unless there are exigent circumstances.
A Taxi will never be scheduled in excess of fifty (50)
hours. Companies may make arrangements with
badged drivers to accommodate when their Taxis
operated to fulfill their schedule requirements.
Service Provider Question:
What is the Airport’s position on operating during
inclement weather?
12
13
11
11
3.4
3.4
Operations
Tracking Software
Answer:
Permitted Taxis are expected to operate during all
scheduled periods.
Service Provider Question:
Can the Airport’s tracking software system provide
detailed reporting on a regular basis in a raw .csv or
MS Excel format so the Company can use the data
to assist in maintaining shift integrity?
Answer:
Yes, the gatekeeper software has the ability to track
Finance Office - Procurement Management
Management and Financial Services/City of Charlotte 600 East Fourth Street
Phone: 704/336-2256 Fax: 704/336-2258
3
Charlotte, NC 28202-2850
Item #
Page #
Section #
Specification(s)
Modifications and Questions
Taxi activity. This information can be provided in MS
Excel format.
Service Provider Question:
Will additional time be considered for a Taxi to
report to the Airport when called? In the event
additional Taxis are called into the Airport to support
excessive demand, will the Airport only call them
from the Companies with an Operating Agreement?
14
11
3.4
Peak Taxis
15
11
3.5
Trip Fee
Answer:
The Airport reserves the right to call in additional
taxis from non-Permitted companies but only when
all Permitted and Peak Taxis have been called and
where demand is deemed to remain in excess of
supply. Thirty (30) minutes will remain the response
standard.
Service Provider Question:
Can the one dollar and fifty cent ($1.50) Trip Fee be
passed on to customers? If a Taxi does not pick up
a passenger from the Airport, is the Trip Fee still
charged? Is there any additional Permit fee in
addition to the Trip Fee?
Answer:
Taxi fares are regulated by PVH; passing on the
charge is not allowed. Trip Fees are only charged
when Taxis pick up a passenger from the Airport.
No additional Permit fee will be imposed.
Service Provider Question:
Does the City have a preferred number of
Companies to award Operating Agreements?
Would the City consider a longer term for the
Operating Agreements? Did the City consider
dividing the desired number of Permits equally
among all qualified Companies?
16
11
3.5
Award and Term
17
12
3.6
Company
Requirements
Answer:
At this time, the City does not know how many
Companies will be awarded Operating Agreements.
The City of Charlotte Ordinance requires that Taxi
Operating Agreements be awarded in one (1) year
increments. The City may elect to change this
requirement but at this time, Companies should
assume a one (1) year initial with five (5), optional
one (1) year renewals per Item #1 above.
Service Provider Question:
Are Companies required to be approved by the PVH
prior to submitting a Proposal?
Answer:
Companies shall be PVH approved prior to
Operating Agreement execution.
Finance Office - Procurement Management
Management and Financial Services/City of Charlotte 600 East Fourth Street
Phone: 704/336-2256 Fax: 704/336-2258
4
Charlotte, NC 28202-2850
Item #
Page #
Section #
Specification(s)
Modifications and Questions
Service Provider Question:
Is there a limit on how many drivers a Company
may have TSA badged and/or allowed to have a
Permit?
18
12
3.6
Company
Requirements
19
12
3.6
Company
Requirements
20
12
3.6
Vehicle
Requirements
21
12
3.6
Vehicle
Requirements
Answer:
At this time, there is not a limit on the number of
badged drivers, but there is a limit on Permitted
Taxis (the number of awarded Permits per
Company).
Service Provider Question:
Can the City elaborate at this time on technology
upgrades mentioned in Section 3.6 and how that
might affect Taxis?
Answer:
In the future, the Airport plans to implement geo
fencing technology to manage ground transportation
providers. All such providers will be required to
obtain the necessary equipment to interface with
this application-based program.
Service Provider Question:
Please provide an example showing the Airport
service entry date of a vehicle to when the vehicle
must be removed from service. Is it by the
manufacture year or the manufacture year and
month? If a wheelchair accessible vehicle is a 2016
model year when it gets an Airport permit, how long
is it allowed to stay in service? If a non-wheelchair
accessible vehicle is a 2016 model year when it
gets an Airport permit, how long is it allowed to stay
in service? Who at the Airport monitors or manages
the vehicle entry and exit date?
Answer:
Vehicles cannot be older than three (3) model years
when they begin providing Services at the Airport.
The Airport does not track month of manufacture.
The month of Airport service entry begins the three
(3) years for which a vehicle can provide Services.
Companies shall provide a monthly status of their
fleet vehicles. A wheelchair-accessible vehicle has
no age limit as long as it is PVH approved. The
ground transportation staff monitor manages this
function.
Service Provider Question:
Are TomTom or Garmin-like devices required? Is
imbedded GPS software in the Taxis dispatch
acceptable to meet the requirements of this
Section?
Answer:
Per the Airport Rules and Regulations, Taxis
Finance Office - Procurement Management
Management and Financial Services/City of Charlotte 600 East Fourth Street
Phone: 704/336-2256 Fax: 704/336-2258
5
Charlotte, NC 28202-2850
Item #
Page #
Section #
Specification(s)
Modifications and Questions
providing scheduled service under an Operating
Agreement are required to have a GPS device. The
type and location of the GPS device is at the
discretion of the Taxi Company.
Service Provider Question:
Is a PDF format document acceptable for the
Proposal copy required on CD or flash drive? Does
the Proposal version on the CD or flash drive have
to have signatures? Is a staple or paper clip
acceptable to bind paper copies? Will the City
review drafts of Company Proposals to ensure that
they are correct? Please clarify what is meant by
“summary of the costs” to provide the Services
mentioned in 4.1.
22
13
4
Proposal Format
Answer:
PDF format is acceptable for the CD or flash drive.
The CD or flash driver version of the Proposal is
required to have signatures. A paper clip or staple is
acceptable to bind hard copies.
23
24
14
14
5
5
Evaluation
The City will not review drafts of Proposals. All
Proposals must be submitted in final format by the
Proposal deadline. Please see Item #2 above for
edits to Section 4.1; a summary of costs is not
required.
Service Provider Question:
Who will be on the Evaluation Team and how are
the members selected? How will the Airport
determine if the individuals on the Evaluation Team
are qualified? Will the City Managers Office and/or
individuals from the Greater Charlotte Hospitality
and Tourism Alliance be a part of the Evaluation
Team?
Evaluation
Answer:
The City has not identified members of the
Evaluation Team at this time. The City will select
individuals for the Evaluation Team that are
knowledgeable about ground transportation and the
needs of the Charlotte area.
Service Provider Question:
Will a point or scale system be used for evaluating
Proposals? Will the City interview some or all
Companies that submit Proposals? How will the
Evaluation Team differentiate between Companies
if they all have to follow the same PVH
requirements and Airport Rules?
Answer:
A point system will not be used to evaluate
Proposals. The Evaluation Team will not decide
whether or not to interview Companies until the
Evaluation process has begun. Proposals will be
Finance Office - Procurement Management
Management and Financial Services/City of Charlotte 600 East Fourth Street Charlotte, NC 28202-2850
Phone: 704/336-2256 Fax: 704/336-2258
6
Item #
Page #
Section #
Specification(s)
Modifications and Questions
considered in their totality to assess the best
Companies for the Airport.
Service Provider Question:
Does the City have a preferred format for the
Operating Plan? What information do you want in
response to the tenth bullet that requests
information about divers’ compensation?
25
22
Section 6,
Form 6
Operating Plan
Format
26
26
Exhibit A,
Section 7
Insurance
Permits and
Identification
Taxi Driver
Uniforms
27
31
Exhibit B,
Section 2.4
28
31
Exhibit B,
Section
3.2.1
Answer:
Companies should answer all questions in the order
they appear. See Section 4 for the RFP for standard
formatting requirements. While drivers are not
directly compensated by Companies, the City wants
to understand any types of compensation provided
by the Company to the drivers. Companies should
list each element of compensation and the value of
that compensation.
Service Provider Question:
During the term of the Operating Agreement, can
the Airport increase insurance requirements?
Answer:
The Airport will not increase the insurance
requirements in the Operating Agreement.
Service Provider Question:
Are background checks on all drivers still required
whereas less stringer or different requirements are
made of Transportation Network Companies
(TNCs)? Why are TNCs allowed to operate freely
whereas Taxis must be Permitted, have badges and
other requirements?
Answer:
The background check process is still required.
Taxis, being an on-demand service, provide a
different level of service and have different
regulatory requirements than TNCs. TNCs now
have a contractual arrangement with the City that
dictates how they can operate within the Airport
environment. Passengers chose to use TNCs and
accept the risks and quality assurances of those
companies. If a passenger utilizes an Airport
Permitted Taxi, the Airport is responsible for the
quality of service received.
Service Provider Question:
Are shirt colors other than those listed in the Rules
allowed for Taxi drivers? What is the process for
approval of additional shirt colors? Please clarify
what is meant by “closed toe shoes”. What are Taxi
Drivers allowed to wear during inclement weather?
Answer:
Per Section 3.2 of the Rules, any light color button
Finance Office - Procurement Management
Management and Financial Services/City of Charlotte 600 East Fourth Street
Phone: 704/336-2256 Fax: 704/336-2258
7
Charlotte, NC 28202-2850
Item #
29
Page #
32
Section #
Exhibit B,
Section 5.5
Specification(s)
Modifications and Questions
Enforcement
down shirt is acceptable. Companies shall have a
consistent uniform across all drivers. A closed toe
shoe is a shoe that covers the entire foot leaving no
part exposed. The Airport’s policy pertaining to
inclement weather outer garments is liberal though
no type of sweatshirt is allowed.
Service Provider Question:
Is there an opportunity to rectify any item identified
by Airport staff, short of life safety, prior to the driver
or Company actually receiving a violation? Can
there be or will there be an opportunity to receive
some type of warning first?
Answer:
Airport ground transportation staff regularly
communicates issues and concerns to Company
management. Airport staff will follow all prescribed
rules pertaining to Taxi enforcement.
Service Provider Question:
Is the City interested in geo fencing software
solutions?
30
General
31
General
32
General
Answer:
This is unknown at this time. However, all airport
Taxis shall follow the Rules, all applicable statutes,
ordinances, and the Operating Agreement.
Service Provider Question:
Please identify any charges imposed on the TNCs
that are allowed to operate at the Airport. Please
identify the number of passengers per month and
the amount billed and paid for by the TNCs since
they began operating under the agreement with the
Airport.
General
Answer:
The TNC contractual arrangements with the Airport
have been in effect for just over one (1) month so
no data is available. The City hopes to have this
data by the time the final Addendum for this Project
is released.
Service Provider Question:
May Companies have copies of the report produced
by Taxi Research Partners for the Airport?
33
Answer:
The City is not seeking geo fencing software as part
of this RFP. A separate solicitation will be posted for
such products or services.
Service Provider Question:
Will the potential changes to the PVH ordinance
affect the Services, either in substance or in timing?
Answer:
Finance Office - Procurement Management
Management and Financial Services/City of Charlotte 600 East Fourth Street
Phone: 704/336-2256 Fax: 704/336-2258
8
Charlotte, NC 28202-2850
Item #
Page #
Section #
Specification(s)
Modifications and Questions
Yes, such documentation can be obtained by
emailing
Sarah
Poulton
at
spoulton@charlottenc.gov.
34
General
Service Provider Question:
May Companies have copies of the last RFP
process for these Services? Are the Proposals
available from the last RFP? Is other data about the
current Companies and number of Permits
available?
Answer:
Yes, such documentation can be obtained by
emailing
Sarah
Poulton
at
spoulton@charlottenc.gov.
In order to constitute a complete proposal/bid response you must acknowledge receipt of this addendum with the
Addenda Receipt Confirmation Form in Section 6 of the RFP in your Proposal.
Any Company not acknowledging receipt of an issued addendum may not be considered.
In the event additional changes or clarifications to this RFP are warranted, all Companies are responsible for
monitoring www.ips.state.nc.us or for additional addenda.
We appreciate your interest in doing business with the City of Charlotte and look forward to receiving a Proposal
from your company.
Sincerely,
Sarah Poulton
Procurement Officer
cc:
RFP File
Finance Office - Procurement Management
Management and Financial Services/City of Charlotte 600 East Fourth Street
Phone: 704/336-2256 Fax: 704/336-2258
9
Charlotte, NC 28202-2850