The Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) has mooted awarding of tenders for metro transportation, and infrastructure projects with a pre-condition that the winner will have to ensure the maintenance of components it bids for.
The objective is to ensure quality right from the design stage.
This will considerably reduce life-cycle cost, since the firms concerned will go the extra mile to ensure low maintenance cost. Such a mode of awarding contracts was presented by KMRL at a recent conference of managing directors of metro rail projects held in New Delhi. The metro agency will seek views on adopting this non-conventional method from experts and officials of the Urban Development Ministry before finalising it.
The proposal comes at a time when the metro agency is gearing up to take up construction of the metro’s extension to the suburbs. “We are in the process of recruiting more professionals, who have worked with metro agencies worldwide, to take up the operation and maintenance of the Kochi metro’s first phase and future extensions. Training programmes are on for new recruits. The detailed project report (DPR) for the Kakkanad extension is ready, and it is awaiting the Centre’s clearance. Supplementary DPRs for a package involving the metro’s electric feeder buses, junction development programmes, and solar-powered initiatives of the metro agency are expected to be ready in two weeks,” a senior KMRL official said.
The 1.50-km-long Thripunithura extension will most likely be taken up as an extension of Phase-I of the project.
KMRL sets
pre-condition that winner should ensure quality right from design stage
