Chennai: Moving another step closer to implementing its ambitious and long pending project of dock-less cycle sharing system, the Greater Chennai Corporation has floated tenders inviting private operators to take up the project.
The Non-Motorised Transport police adopted by Chennai Corporation in 2014 had mandated the civic body to minimise the use of private vehicles and promote the use of non emitting forms of transport. Abiding by the policy, the civic body had floated tenders to implement the cycle-sharing project at a cost of Rs 10 crore.
“The feasibility study on implementing the cycle-sharing system has been given to a consultant in 2015. The consultant had completed the detailed project report (DPR) recently”, a Chennai Corporation official said.
The official also added that the cycle parking station would be set up at 378 locations at all the 15 zones of the city corporation. “Nearly 5,000 cycles with high safety standards would be brought to the city and the project would provide last mile connectivity to the office goers, students and other commuters”, the official said.
According to the tender document, the potential bidder should provide the service under Design, Build, Finance and Operate (DBFO) basis for 7 years. “If the civic body administration decides to expand the project in future, it will call other firms. The private firm will charge the users accordingly”, the official said.
Chennai Corporation, in a move to hopping on to the Digital India bandwagon, has instructed bidders to develop cashless transactions such as online payment portal, credit card payment and e-wallet payment to collect money from the users. The service provider also has to develop a software-based management system, the official added.
The Chennai Corporation official also said that of the total '10 crore, nearly '6 crore would be spent on procuring 5,000 cycles. After bids are received from interested service providers, the bid evaluation committee will select a suitable firm. The committee will be constituted soon.
