BSCL approves Rs 21.20 cr for bus queue shelters in Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar: The Bhubaneswar Smart City Limited (BSCL) on Tuesday approved Rs 21.20 crore for the installation of the state-of-art bus queue shelters (BQS) across the city at 200 locations.

The approval for the placement of funds to Capital Region Urban Transport (CRUT) for construction of BQS across the city is under the head of Transit Operations of Pan City Solution as per the Smart City Proposal of BSCL.

CRUT, formerly known as Bhubaneswar Puri Transport Services, has taken steps to strengthen City Bus Services in Bhubaneswar under Bhubaneswar City Bus Modernisation Project (BCBMP).

As the part of this project, CRUT has finalised two contracts on Gross Cost Basis for running of 200 buses (each package of 100 buses). To ensure improved passenger facilities, CRUT finalised the design of BQS.

These BQS will be installed on design, supply and installation basis by the selected vendor JSL Lifestyle Limited.

CRUT had received three bids in response to the tender it invited. In line with the provisions of the RFP document JSL Lifestyle Limited, Raajratna Ventures Limited and Longlasst Inc were shortlisted and after evaluation of the bids, JSL Lifestyle Limited was selected for the project.

Approval for the BQS project was obtained in the 33rd Meeting of Board of Directors of CRUT on August 10, 2018 with a provision for funding the project from BSCL. The agreement with the selected bidder JSL Lifestyle Limited was executed on August 24, 2018.

It can be mentioned here that while the city will have 200 BQS for the city bus network, till date nearly 100 locations have been identified so far and at 50 locations excavation work has already been completed. Footing concrete structure (floor) has been laid at 20 locations so far for BQS.

The 10^th meeting of Board of Directors of BSCL was chaired by Development Commissioner R Balakrishnan, who is also the Chairman of BSCL.

The Board also discussed several other items like construction of new Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) building including the Intelligent City Operations and Management Centre (ICOMC) at Unit IX on engineering procurement and construction (EPC) mode, construction of Integrated Public Service Centre (IPSC) building at Bapuji Nagar, Common Payment Card System and shifting of the office of BSCL from second floor of BMC-Bhawani Mall to fifth floor as the CRUT office would be functioning from the second floor in near future.