MMRDA finally sells ad space on its skywalks

After issuing and reissuing tenders many times, the Bandra skywalk finally has a taker

MMRDA finally sells ad space on its skywalks

After issuing and reissuing tenders many times, the Bandra skywalk finally has a taker

For the MMRDA, the prolonged campaign to woo takers for its ad spaces has been a process of trial-and error.

While drawing up itsu00a0 costly plans for building flyovers across the city, the body had made tall claims about their potential to generate large sums of revenue through advertisements.

After skywalks across the city received the cold shoulder from commuters, the MMRDA has decided not to build any more of them

But various tenders that it floated inviting proposals from agencies repeatedly elicited less than lukewarm response.

After making manifold changes to its original designs, the body has finally shelved its plan of selling ad space on all its 26 skywalks, settling to do so in only 14 such. It appears that these fresh plans have worked, as a firm has bought ad rights for the Bandra skywalk.

The MMRDA had issued tenders to sell advertisement space on its 26 skywalks in Mumbai last year, expecting to generate Rs 200 crore. The tenders issued in February 2008 and August 2010.

Cold-shouldered
The body's original plan was to rope in clients who would want their ads displayed at the skywalk for a period of five years. But there were no takers for such contracts.

The MMRDA soonu00a0 agreed to reduce the advertisement display period to two years. This was not the first time that the MMRDA's ambitious plans for revenue generation backfired.

The very first tender issued three years ago was for a display period of ten years, and the only taker was Reliance Big Entertainment.

Soon after, however, the MMRDA forfeited the contract, following Reliance's failure to pay up.

No company issued a bid the second time round.

Speaking to MiD DAY, an MMRDA official involved in the project said that the tenders had no takers owing to an inconducive market for investment.

Another factor for the absence of bidders is the fact that the skywalks have been cold shouldered by pedestrians.
u00a0
MiD DAY had reported last month that the city's railway authorities have been wracking their brains to find a way to attract more passengers for its skywalks, which have been all but abandoned by railway passengers.

Fresh Hope
The official confirmed that there were more takers for ad spaces at the skywalks situated in prime locations like Bandra, Andheri, Santacruz, Sion and Vile Parle, as opposed to that in locations like Virar and Borivli.

Taking note of this trend, the MMRDA, giving up its plan of selling ad space on all 22 flyovers, has now invited bids for advertisements on only 14 of its skywalks, situated in prime locations like Andheri, Bandra, Santacruz, Borivli.

"The MMRDA has already sold ad rights on the Bandra Skywalk to an agency which is shelling out Rs 5 lakh per month. From this flyover itself, the body has already generated revenue of Rs 15 lakh.

MMRDA Joint Project Director Dilip Kawatkar said, "We have invited tenders foru00a0 another 14 skywalks, and are expecting to earn mthan Rs 100 crores a year from the same."

The Other Side
MMRDA Chief Engineer denied that the skywalks had received a tepid response from pedestrians, saying, "More than 12 lakh people use skywalks daily. We expect these figures to rise." When questioned about the ongoing efforts to sell ad space, he refused to comment on the subject.u00a0

No more skywalks
There are a total of 36 skywalks in Mumbai, of which 35 have already been thrown open to the public. A skywalk at Vikroli is looking forward to its inauguration in the month of July.

The MMRDA, which has spent more than Rs 600 crore on the skywalk project, announced recently that it would not be constructing any more of them.