KOCHI: Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) Principal Advisor E. Sreedharan on Saturday said the ticket fares for the Kochi metro should have been priced lower and increased gradually when there was better patronage.
On the plan of Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) to extend the metro from Aluva to Angamaly through the national highway sans extension to the international airport, he said it would be better if the metro was extended to Angamaly through the airport.
Meanwhile, a consortium comprising Cherian Varkey Construction Company and Vijay Nirman Company (CVCC & VNC) has quoted the lowest amount for the construction of missing links in the Kochi metro viaduct in the Maharaja’s College Ground - Ernakulam Junction railway station and Vyttila Kunnara Park-Pettah corridors.
Mr. Sreedharan said the metro agency had shortlisted the CVCC-VNC joint venture firm to construct the viaduct (in the two corridors on the 7-km-long Maharaja’s College Ground-Pettah stretch).
While CVCC is based in Kochi, VNC is a Vizag firm. The JV firm quoted ₹395 crore, which is approximately 35% higher than the DMRC’s estimate.
Apart from the elevated viaduct, the firm will have to construct three metro stations at Ernakulam South, Thykoodam, and Pettah, metro sources said.
Two firms are already engaged in building the viaduct between the railway station and Vyttila. The DMRC opted to retender the rest of the work after two civil firms, which had bagged the contract in 2013 to construct the viaduct, were subsequently partially offloaded owing to the slow progress of work.
Metro sources said the viaduct up to Pettah had to be completed in 20 months, ie., by March 2019. We are concerned about the delay in acquiring land for the Champakkara-Pettah- Thripunithura corridor. The metro viaduct on the Pettah-SN Junction stretch will be completed by 2020, if all goes well.
While CVCC has wide experience in constructing bridges, VNC is engaged in constructing a portion of the Delhi metro.
Though it emerged as the lowest bidder, a decision will be taken only next week. The tender committee is engaged in the final round of talks, DMRC sources said.
