The Hyderabad Airport Metro Limited (HAML) — special purpose vehicle formed to build the Metro rail to the international airport and to oversee the proposed Elevated Bus Rapid Transit System (EBRTS) — has announced that the city-based infrastructure and engineering consultancy agency, Aarvee Associates, bagged the contract to prepare the Detailed Project Report (DPR).
HAML Managing Director N.V.S. Reddy said on Wednesday that two firms had come forward to take up the DPR on a bid notification issued earlier this month — RITES, a PSU of Indian Railways, and Aarvee Associates. Both firms were found to be qualified and their financial bids were opened on Wednesday.
While Aarvee Associates quoted ₹106 lakh, RITES quoted ₹129 lakh for preparation of the DPR. Based on the combined technical and financial score, Aarvee Associates was awarded the work for preparation of DPR at its quoted rate, he said.
The DPR would be for the estimated ₹2,400-crore EBRTS corridor from Kukatpally Housing Board (KPHB) to Financial District in Gachibowli.
While HAML was the facilitating agency for building the project in the public-private partnership mode, TS Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TSIIC) and the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) were also associated with the project.
EBRTS envisages running of electric articulated twin/three buses to be exclusively run on the viaduct to be built on piers akin to the metro rail project but at a much less height. The elevated bus corridor would be connecting HiTex, HICC, Hi-Tec City, MindSpace junction, Gachibowli and Narsingi with elevated stations at half a kilometre each.
Aarvee Associates would now have to submit the DPR for the project within three months, which includes alignment fixation, location of overhead stations, traffic studies and rider estimation. The report would also include details like soil investigation, social and environmental impact assessment, and financial model, said Mr. Reddy.