The Taichung MRT system is currently under construction, and the transportation bureau said in confidence that they will find a suitable bidder for the electrical and mechanical construction part of the project, which will be due on March 9th.

However, with the entire development exceeding the budget due to the soaring prices of building materials, the city counselors remain doubtful on whether the system will be completed as scheduled.

Workers are currently relocating trees and pipes in Taichung City.

Several past bids for the Taichung MRT's electrical and mechanical construction contracts have been held without success, and the next one is scheduled for March 9th.

Taichung City Transportation Bureau Director-General Lin Liang-tay is confident that the bid will go smoothly, and says that the system will be constructed without going over budget.

City councilors are not so certain, saying that the budget was previously increased from 30 billion NT to 51.3 billion NT due to fluctuating raw material prices.

Furthermore, construction was originally slated to begin last June but was postponed to this year.

City councilors are accusing the city government of sitting on its hands, and are questioning whether the project can be completed without increasing the budget.

In response to City Council calls to make the MRT a BOT project, Lin says that the Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation has already been commissioned to build the Taichung MRT's Green Line,

and the city government will establish the Taichung Rapid Transit Corporation in 2012 to build some of the system's other lines.

Completion is slated for 2017.

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