Metrolinx has granted the private company that oversees Presto a three-year, non-competitive contract extension worth more than $400 million, the Star has learned. The source said potential vendors expressed concerns about the large size of the proposed Presto contract during an exercise to sound out the market about it last year. Metrolinx concluded those factors would make the Presto contract too risky to attract many viable bids, and Accenture was likely to win it again. In an effort to ensure competitive bids for the new Presto agreement, Metrolinx is breaking up the work into smaller “lots” that will be awarded between now and mid-2023. According to the government source, Metrolinx negotiated concessions from Accenture to ensure the extension provides additional benefits to the public.

Source: thestar December 18, 2021 17:00 UTC