Monorail operator wants to extend three-year contract

With the countrys first Monorail to be commissioned in a year,Scomi Engineering,which is working on the project and will operate it for three years

With the countrys first Monorail to be commissioned in a year,Scomi Engineering,which is working on the project and will operate it for three years,has already shown interest in extending the contract. In a meeting with senior officials of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA),the top brass of Scomi urged the agency to start the process of appointing the next operator for Monorail well in advance,before its contract with the agency ends.

This,according to Scomi,will help in hassle-free transfer of operations. MMRDA officials,however,said extending the contract without inviting fresh bids three years after the commissioning of the route will be a thorny issue.

The contract with Scomi ends three years after the commissioning of Monorail. As it is a complex mode of transport and is being tested for the first time in India,Scomi has asked us to start the process of handing over the operations to a new contractor well in advance to reduce hassles, said Metropolitan Commissioner Rahul Asthana. As per the contract,Larsen and Tourbo (L&T),a partner of the consortium will do the civil work while Scomi will bring in the technology,rakes and operate the Monorail for three years. The Scomi will also pay around Rs 40 crore,the revenue generated from the sale of tickets,every year to MMRDA for operating the Monorail. After three years,the operations have to be surrendered to MMRDA,which will appoint another operator.

Sources,however,said Scomi is keen to have the contract extended,but under the given circumstances that cannot be done without inviting fresh bids. On Tuesday,Scomis top brass was in the city to meet the MMRDA officials and is believed to have given an indication of extending the contract.

The Monorail is owned by the government and the contract cannot be extended. Fresh tenders have to be floated so that companies interested in operating the Monorail can get a chance. The contract can,however,be extended for three more years if we do not get bidders, Asthana said.

Unlike the Metro,Monorail is a new technology and very few countries have this mode of transport.

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Monorail operator wants to extend three-year contract

With the countrys first Monorail to be commissioned in a year,Scomi Engineering,which is working on the project and will operate it for three years

With the countrys first Monorail to be commissioned in a year,Scomi Engineering,which is working on the project and will operate it for three years