Bicycle lane project parked
Rs. 30 million project to build exclusive bicycle lanes in Jayanagar still to get under way
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| The document showing the floated tender amount for the project and the period of completion. |
By Rutvick Mehta
BANGALORE (Jan. 19)—The Jayangar bicycle lane, which was supposed to be completed by August, is still in the initial stages of construction due to delays in the procedural formalities.
In June, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike announced that the bicycle lanes in Jayanagar would be developed within six weeks. The project was initiated by the Urban Land Transport Department (DULT) in partnership with the BBMP.
However, an RTI filed in the BBMP and the DULT reveal the following:
- Gubbi Labs submitted their feasibility report to DULT in December 2010, estimating the cost of the cycle lane to be Rs. 34 million.
- The DULT held meetings with the officials in BBMP to discuss the feasibility of the project during January and February 2011, with the result that the project was accepted by the BBMP with a proposed budget of Rs. 35.9 million.
- In June 2011, the BBMP Council approved the project with a budget of Rs. 25.9 million, and tenders were invited for the same from private contractors to build the lane.
- After June, BBMP received many tenders and proposals from contractors, but it approved none.
- Finally, on Dec. 9, the tender approval was given to a private contractor, with the tender amount being Rs. 30.3 million.
Filing took 3 months to progress
Mr. Devraj, an assistant engineer with the BBMP, told The SoftCopy: “The BBMP Council approved the floating of tenders in June. However, the file reached our office only in September.”
Devraj also blamed a shortage of raw materials and labor as another reason for the delay.
He said the project should be complete by March this year, and the BBMP has started the initial work of developing high-rise pedestrian crossing and painting signboards in areas of Jayanagar.
The DULT, for its part, says it was only concerned with the planning aspect of the project, and that its execution was completely BBMP’s prerogative.
“We were just involved with the planning of the project, which took two to three months,” Nawaz Naved of the DULT said. “There was a delay in formalities like filing of forms and inviting tenders."
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So far, only work on a high-rise pedestrian crossing has started. |
Cyclists, residents clueless
The residents of Jayanagar are still in the dark about when the cycle lane will finally commence.
“They have been saying to build the cycle lane for more than a year now,” said Rajendra Prabhu, a resident of Jayanagar. “It is high time the lane is build, as it will help the school and college goers a lot who travel by a cycle.”
The cycle enthusiasts in the city too are dismayed at the slow pace of the work and the lack of interest shown by the authorities.
“It is work in progress,” said Murali H.R, a member of Ride A Cycle Foundation. “However, it is slow, like all government work.”
It will be interesting to see whether the project actually sees the light of the day by March, or if the wait for the first cycle lane in the city will continue even after then.
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