The Indian arm of Elsamex SA of Spain, a world leader and specialist in comprehensive maintenance, operation, and management of road systems, will take over the upkeep of 42 km of roads developed in the capital under the City Roads Improvement Project (CRIP).
IL&FS Transportation Networks (ITNL), a subsidiary of Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services (IL&FS), has been doing the work for the past eight years under the build, operate, maintain, transfer (BOMT) mode.
The greenfield stadium at Kazhakuttam constructed for the recently concluded National Games under the BOMT mode has been handed over to the firm for maintenance and upkeep for 15 years.
Thiruvananthapuram Road Development Company Ltd. (TRDCL), the special purpose vehicle (SPV) set up for the execution of CRIP, that is nearing completion, had asked the company to take over the upkeep. The paper work was at an advanced stage, a top official of TRDCL said.
Professional approach
The ‘Spanish touch’ would come in the form of more organised and professional approach to the maintenance and upkeep of CRIP corridors. The company provided services such as quality control, testing, and certification of roads and enjoyed a high reputation in Europe. A pioneer in developing bitumen products, the company had introduced more than 60 new technologies in highways construction and maintenance. The practices would be adopted here too, he said.
A helpline, towing truck, parking lot management, 24-hour control room, integrated CCTV control system, sprinklers for the gardens and lawns developed were part of the operational package. Action would be taken to get encroachments on the corridors cleared. Defacement of traffic islands, bus stops, and trees would also be a thing of the past as strong action was being planned against such acts, he said.
As much as 37 km of roads developed under CRIP Phase I, II, and III had been handed over for maintenance. As per the concession agreement, the maintenance would be for 15 years after the handing over of the corridor, sources said.