Kerala Monorail Corporation Ltd. (KMCL), the Special Purpose Vehicle set up to execute the Rs.5,581-crore monorail project in Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode, will rope in a multi-disciplinary consultancy to prepare the Comprehensive Mobility Plan for the two cities.
The decision was taken at the KMCL board meeting held here last week to avoid delay in submitting the mobility plan, which the Union government had sought to process its request for 20 per cent grant for the project. The plan will provide desirable mobility patterns, of both people and goods, in the two cities.
The decision also comes in the wake of the “poor response” from Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode city Corporations to a request from the KMCL to prepare the mobility plan integrating various modes of transport.
Official sources told The Hindu that the task would be entrusted either to the National Transportation Planning and Research Centre (Natpac) or Rail India Technical and Economic Services Ltd (RITES) to submit the mobility plan at the earliest to the Centre.
As Natpac had done the initial Detailed Project Report for the elevated rail-based MRTS for the two cities and has the requisite traffic data, the institution is likely to be handed over the task soon after completing the formalities.
The State has also been told that the mobility plan should provide due weightage to monorail and schemes for integrating road and rail modes. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), the general consultant for the KMCL, has already revised the detailed project report by including “first and last mile connectivity” in the two cities as asked by the Union Ministry of Urban Affairs.
Technical bidThe preparation of the plan has assumed significance as the process to select the developer-contractor is in its final stage. The technical bid is being processed by the DMRC and the commercial bid is to be opened after the KMCL board gives approval.
