Will Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority's (MMRDA) unending zeal to get an operator for the Jacob Circle-Chembur monorail services finally yield results?
Representation pic
Will Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority's (MMRDA) unending zeal to get an operator for the Jacob Circle-Chembur monorail services finally yield results? Well, the answer lies in what's going to happen to its third attempt to invite tenders for the work. After two failed attempts last year, the authority has once again called for bidders, to appoint a company that would operate and maintain the services along the entire stretch.
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According to sources, the company that wins the bid would look after the operation and maintenance of services between Jacob Circle and Chembur station and the depot. It would also have to do emergency planning and take care of disaster management, ticketing, fare collection, cleaning of trains, stations and the depot.
Speaking to mid-day, Dilip Kawathkar, MMRDA joint project director, said, "We have invited a Request for Proposal (ROP) for operating and maintaining the monorail services on the 20-km-long Jacob Circle-Chembur line for the next 10 years. We are hopeful of getting a good response this time."
Two times unlucky
Sources said MMRDA received very lukewarm response on the previous two occasions when they invited tenders for the work. During the first bid in January 2017, the authority did not get any response at all, as companies were not happy about the deposit amount of Rs 5 crore and the terms and conditions mentioned in the tender.
Even though MMRDA modified the tender for the second bid in September, only one bidder came forward. This time, the deposit amount has been fixed at Rs 1.18 crore, which includes a GST of 18 per cent.
Phase I comes first
Almost four months after phase I services between Wadala and Chembur were suspended following a fire, the MMRDA has decided that if there is a delay in getting a clearance certificate from the CRS for phase II, it will restart phase I services earlier.
Rs 5 lakh
MMRDA's average revenue loss per day for shutting phase I services
Rs 5.9 cr
Total loss since the day services were suspended
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