UK's leading bus service operator `First Group plc' has shown interest in running the 223 bus fleet in Ahmedabad's Bus Rapid Transport Service (BRTS). 'First Group plc' is among six-odd agencies that have approached the Ahmedabad Janmarg Limited (AJL) for operating the 223 additional buses. The bidding process has already began. Currently, 127 new buses are being readied.
“First Group is the world's leading transport operator, moving more than 2.5 billion passengers every year. AJL's technical team would do a detailed analysis of the tenders and decide which party gets the contract,” says a senior AJL official. The sources added that the AJL technical committee would take at least a fortnight to decide on the final operator while it will take few more days before the operator takes charge of the buses. “One can expect by November the new set of BRTS buses would take to the streets,“ adds the AJL official.
The AJL would ensure that quality, maintenance of buses and reliability of the bus service are given higher weightage while deciding on the operator's rate, which is amount paid per kilometre to the operator. In an earlier bidding process, the lowest rate was quoted as Rs 38 per km. “We calculated that it would be unviable in a short time as fuel rates are skyrocketing and the entire operations would be hand to mouth. One can expect higher bids this time,” adds a senior Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation official.
