The BBMP on Friday opened the technical bid from the sole bidder for its proposed pod taxi project. While scrutiny is still on, commissioner N Manjunatha Prasad said, in future, more tenders will be floated for other routes.
"We have floated the tender. The technical and financial bids have to be evaluated. We had initially suggested five routes, but the bidder will be free to choose any one and implement the project on that route. Once that is successful, we will float more tenders for the other stretches identified," Prasad said from New Delhi.
The Palike had originally identified these routes — Trinity Circle to Leela Palace (4km), Leela Palace to Marathahalli Junction (6km), Marathahalli Junction to Whitefield (6.5km), MG Road Metro station to Koramangala-HSR Layout (7km), Jayanagar 4th Block to JP Nagar 6th Phase (5.3km) and Sony Junction to Indiranagar Metro station (6.7km).
When it floated the tender, the Palike clubbed at least three of these routes and called bidders to implement the project on a 30km stretch from Trinity Circle to Whitefield via Old Airport Road, with 12 major stations. Also, given that the route was passing through Old Airport Road, it had decided to add a couple of stations off the road connecting it to Byappanahalli through Suranjan Das Road.
However, in response, the BBMP received just one bid from a consortium comprising Smart Personal Rapid Transit Systems, Ultra PRT and Bengaluru-based Embassy Property Developments Private Limited. Bengaluru development minister K J George had told TOI on Thursday that the tender was called for a pilot and that it was aimed to help IT workers in Whitefield and Byappanahalli areas.
According to Praveen Lingaiah, executive engineer, traffic engineering cell, the bidder has proposed to execute the project on more routes than what BBMP had sought. "The bidder has offered to implement the project even in HBR Layout, Kalyan Nagar and Nagawara, among other stations proposed, which we had not sought for in the tender," he said.
While officials indicated that it might be the latter, there was no official confirmation about it. Lingaiah said once his team scrutinizes the documents to ensure they meet all technical specifications, and once they are approved by senior officers, the BBMP will open the financial bid.
News Source: The Times of India
"We have floated the tender. The technical and financial bids have to be evaluated. We had initially suggested five routes, but the bidder will be free to choose any one and implement the project on that route. Once that is successful, we will float more tenders for the other stretches identified," Prasad said from New Delhi.
The Palike had originally identified these routes — Trinity Circle to Leela Palace (4km), Leela Palace to Marathahalli Junction (6km), Marathahalli Junction to Whitefield (6.5km), MG Road Metro station to Koramangala-HSR Layout (7km), Jayanagar 4th Block to JP Nagar 6th Phase (5.3km) and Sony Junction to Indiranagar Metro station (6.7km).
When it floated the tender, the Palike clubbed at least three of these routes and called bidders to implement the project on a 30km stretch from Trinity Circle to Whitefield via Old Airport Road, with 12 major stations. Also, given that the route was passing through Old Airport Road, it had decided to add a couple of stations off the road connecting it to Byappanahalli through Suranjan Das Road.
However, in response, the BBMP received just one bid from a consortium comprising Smart Personal Rapid Transit Systems, Ultra PRT and Bengaluru-based Embassy Property Developments Private Limited. Bengaluru development minister K J George had told TOI on Thursday that the tender was called for a pilot and that it was aimed to help IT workers in Whitefield and Byappanahalli areas.
According to Praveen Lingaiah, executive engineer, traffic engineering cell, the bidder has proposed to execute the project on more routes than what BBMP had sought. "The bidder has offered to implement the project even in HBR Layout, Kalyan Nagar and Nagawara, among other stations proposed, which we had not sought for in the tender," he said.
While officials indicated that it might be the latter, there was no official confirmation about it. Lingaiah said once his team scrutinizes the documents to ensure they meet all technical specifications, and once they are approved by senior officers, the BBMP will open the financial bid.
News Source: The Times of India