Contractors say no to £400m Cardiff PFI

Contractors are turning their noses up at Cardiff City Council's £400m PFI to improve its transport infrastructure.

The 25-year contract, which will include road maintenance work and delivering a modern integrated transport system, has only given bidders four weeks to submit what they regard as a very "complex bid".

"Four weeks just isn't enough for this type of contract," said one interested bidder. "We have decided to give this one a miss. It makes me wonder if the council already had a bidder in mind before releasing the advert on OJEC."

Bidders have been asked to return bids by 18 July after the advert went out on 5 June.

One other contractor also said that it wouldn't touch the contract as "something wasn't right about the process".

The council denied the contractors' claims and said that it was only permitted 43 days to electronically publish the advert on OJEC.

The council is now looking for a time extension.