KOCHI: The tender for manufacturing the modernised boats for the Rs 747-crore Water Metro project will be rolled out soon. The tender documents prepared by AECOM Consortium, the general consultant of the project, comprising AECOM India Pvt Ltd, Urban Mass Transit Company Ltd and Zebec Marine Consultants and Service Pvt Ltd, has been submitted before the board of KfW, the German Development Agency providing external funding for the project.
“The tender documents of the Water Metro project is submitted before the board of KfW," the official spokesperson of KMRL told Express. "Once KfW gives the nod, KMRL will float an international competitive bidding. The tender will be finalised within three months. The boats are expected to be delivered within 10 months after awarding the bid.”The delivery of the boats will be as per the requirement. The project envisages the development of 16 routes, connecting 38 jetties across 10 islands and spans a total network of 76 km. The tender will be for rolling out 78 modernised boats.
KMRL managing director APM Mohammed Haneesh had earlier said the project is expected to be commissioned in April 2019. The project is expected to dynamically improve the water transport scenario in greater Kochi area by improving the living standards of thousands of people residing in small islands in and around the city.
However, sources said a decision regarding the launch of air-conditioned boats is yet to be finalised. Though the initial proposal suggested rolling out modernised AC-ferries, the German agency is more interested in promoting fuel-efficient and eco-friendly systems. “Moreover, the atmosphere is breezy and most of the technical experts are of the opinion there is no need for air-conditioned ferries. However, the final tender documents will have a clear specification on the type of ferries,” said sources.
Meanwhile, the advanced ferries will have intelligent navigation system, passenger information system, GPS tracking and on-board Wi-Fi and surveillance systems which will match up with the comfort in Metro Rail. The ferries will also boost up KMRL's plans for a single ticketing system by acting as an efficient feeder system offering last mile connectivity.
The boats are expected to be delivered as per the requirement. It is expected the first phase of the project will see 20 boats being rolled out. The general consultant is also working on the bids for the civil works of the project including jetty development and island development. The Water Metro project also aims at developing the existing jetties and constructing new ones. The civil works also include the development and widening of roads around the proposed jetties, improving the lighting of the streets and property development at the jetty area.
The KMRL had already inked an agreement with the Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) for developing a world-class boat jetty and marina on Marine Drive. The facility with world-class standards will provide safe and secure access to passengers and tourists without affecting free movement of pedestrians on the Marine Drive walkway. This marina will have a capacity to hold more than 150 boats at a time and will have waiting rooms, rest rooms, free Wi-Fi and shopping facilities.