Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru
Mangaluru, Nov 6: The long-delayed plan to construct a bus terminal at Pumpwell under the Smart City project is set to take a new turn with the adoption of the Swiss Challenge model to attract contractors and revive the stalled initiative.
The Smart City authorities have decided to invite proposals under the Swiss Challenge system to identify the best offer for the Pumpwell bus terminal project. This move comes as a last effort to implement the plan before it slips out of the Smart City’s scope.
The land acquisition for the terminal was completed in 2009 with 7.23 acres of private land procured for the project. However, despite several attempts, the project failed to progress as expected.
The Smart City had called for tenders three times, estimating a total cost of Rs 445 crore, but no contractors came forward. Even after revising the project cost and modifying the design, there was no response, leading the authorities to opt for the Swiss Challenge model.
Although land acquisition was completed over a decade ago and soil-filling works began around five years back, the site continues to remain idle.
Nearly four years ago, a proposal was made to temporarily relocate the city service bus stand to Pumpwell after interlock tiles were laid. There were also discussions about shifting the project to other areas like Padil and Kuloor, but finally, Pumpwell was confirmed as the most suitable location for the terminal.
The Swiss Challenge is a new method for awarding contracts. Under this system, any interested party can submit a proposal for a project. A committee of experts then evaluates it, following which competing bidders are invited to present better proposals.
The best proposal or the bidder offering the most viable implementation plan is awarded the contract. This approach was previously used for the Peripheral Ring Road project and is being introduced in Mangaluru for the first time.
With this initiative, the Mangaluru Smart City Ltd aims to finally bring the long-pending Pumpwell bus terminal project to reality.