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Macedonia's capital Skopje has called a tender for the construction of a tramway track on a design-build-finance-operate-transfer basis, under a deal estimated at €243 million ($335 million), a notice in the European Union's procurement journal indicated on Thursday.

The notice published in the Tenders Electronic Daily (TED) said the contract includes the establishment of a public-private partnership in a form of concession for a period of up to 35 years for the:

• Design of infrastructure for light rail line 1 (one)
• Preparation of Environmental Impact Assessment Study/Elaborate for environmental protection;
• Construction of line 1 (one) route length of 12.1 km (24.20 in two directions);
• Construction of stations, depot and other necessary infrastructure;
• Procurement of minimum 22 (twenty two) tram cars; and
• Operation, including Maintenance for the line 1 for the entire duration of the PPP Contract.

InfraPPP understand that the first tender process for the Skpoje tram project was canceled after only one consortium led by P.J Skurdal submitted an offer for the project in May.

New applications to bid for the project should be sent by May 8, 2014.

Skopje's public transport system currently relies on a fleet of some 500 buses, 300 of which are publicly owned with 200 run by private companies.

Skopje, with a population 750,000, has been considering building a tram system for 30 years as a more efficient and ecologically friendly solution for everyday commuting. Former Mayor Trifun Kostovski ordered a feasibility study on trams in 2009 and carried out other preparations, but the idea ran out of steam when Kostovski left office. Mayor Trajanovski didn't express support for the idea until 2011.