Newer flights of fancy take hold of BMP

Smile, more expressways on the anvil
Committee Discusses 5 Elevated Routes; CS Blasts Private Players
The Times of India

Bangalore: Bangaloreans can look forward to elevated traffic reliefs. At the meeting of the empowered committee on infrastructure on Wednesday, five projects, including elevated expressways to address traffic chaos, have been thrashed out.

A micro committee has been formed to look into logistics like location of the expressways, whether all five projects should be only elevated expressways or whether there should be other projects too. The committee comprising member of the empowered committee on infrastructure R K Misra, BMTC MD Upendra Tripathy, BMP projects engineer Ranganath, additional commissioner (Traffic) M N Reddi, will submit a comprehensive report after doing a recce of suitable routes.

One approved route is — Raj Bhavan to Hebbal Flyover. Two others subject to approval include the North-South corridor, specifically where Wheeler Road meets Outer Ring Road and ends at Banashankari; East-West corridor from Marathahalli to Hebbal. These projects will be given out on DeBOOT basis (design, build, own, operate, transfer).

“We will call for international bids. The routes will not clash with the Metro Rail,’’ explained Misra. Non-delivering partners: Sending out a strong message to non-delivering ‘participants’ of PPP, chief secretary B K Das said: “You came forward, we responded. You volunteered to do work, and then you back out? How’s that?’’

“The private sector last year said they had some problems. The government was responsive and gave them a hearing and even invited them to be part of the development.’’

Branding a section of the IT industry and builders (who had volunteered for specific projects) as “very irresponsible’’, Das asked: “Are they saying they can’t meet costs?’’

But is the BMP authorised to pull up the private sector for sluggish response? “The BMP commissioner can pull them up only if there is a signed letter.’’

Representing the private sector and acknowledging there have been lapses, Misra defended the sector. “There has been good progress from Kundanahalli to Sai Baba Colony. PPP can work well.”

More decisions

Dedicated lanes for Volvo buses on Outer Ring Road
More flyovers by the BDA
Deadline of March-end, early-April to finish work on 18 roads
Merger of CMCs with BMP still under examination