Interior Ministry to Take UVO Findings into Account During Traffic System Tender

Bratislava, 19 June (TASR) - The Interior Ministry has taken note of the findings of a review by the Public Procurement Authority (UVO) concerning the public tender for an 'Automated System for Detecting Traffic Rule Violations' and will continue the procurement process within the legal framework, TASR learnt from Interior Ministry spokesperson Matej Neumann on Friday. "The next steps will be set up to reflect the UVO's conclusions, allow the identified concerns to be addressed, and at the same time preserve the public interest in building a system that is intended to contribute to road safety and the efficient processing of traffic offences," stated Neumann. He added that the ministry will review the tender requirements to ensure that the verification of technical capabilities and performance parameters is "as objective, transparent and consistent with public procurement principles as possible". As for the UVO review, Neumann underlined that the findings primarily concern procedural and documentation aspects of the procurement process. "They do not mean that the automated traffic violation detection project is technically unfeasible, or that the procurement requirements were designed to favour a particular supplier," he said. He also pointed out that the ministry itself had initiated the review before any contract was signed in order to secure an independent assessment of the procurement setup before a decision on the tender outcome was made and before any contractual obligation arose. The UVO identified several breaches in the tender process. It criticised the Interior Ministry for, among other things, an incomplete and inconsistent description of the contract subject matter, as well as an unclear and non-objective criterion for evaluating bids. The authority also pointed to an inadequately short extension of the deadline for submitting bids. mf