NMMT to construct 79 swanky bus shelters on BOT basis

NAVI MUMBAI: As part of its efforts to beautify and upgrade bus stops in the city, the Navi Mumbai Municipal Transport (NMMT) has decided to construct 79 bus shelters on a build, operate, and transfer (BOT) basis and give the right of advertisements to the appointed company

NAVI MUMBAI: As part of its efforts to beautify and upgrade bus stops in the city, the Navi Mumbai Municipal Transport (NMMT) has decided to construct 79 bus shelters on a build, operate, and transfer (BOT) basis and give the right of advertisements to the appointed company.

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The civic transport wing is expecting a revenue of at least ₹19 crore annually from the proposal.

Several NMMT bus stops are currently in a bad state. The dilapidated condition leads to commuters facing several issues, such as seating. Several bus stops have even been taken over by encroachers, beggars and at times anti-social elements.

At present, several people misuse bus stops by putting up advertisements on them, particularly political ones. It leads to a loss of revenue for NMMT. Appointing an operator for the bus stops will help ensure there is no such loss to NMMT.

According to municipal commissioner Rajesh Narvekar, this upgrade will give bus stops not just a swanky look but also provide facilities to commuters. “There have been complaints by commuters and residents about the condition of the bus stops, the facilities and the hygiene there. There is also the issue of illegal hoardings that are put up here.”

Stated the commissioner, “NMMT does not benefit commercially from the bus stops and instead has to bear the expenses on them. The BOT plan will be a win-win situation for all.”

He confirmed, “We have decided to give the NMMT bus stops to private operators to change the face of our bus stops. The bus stops will be given on a BOT basis for a period of 15 years.”

Narvekar said the operator will be responsible for redeveloping the bus stops to give them a new look and ensure they are commuter friendly.

“The operator will also be responsible for the maintenance of the bus stops for the period of the contract. We will ensure that the operator adheres to the maintenance clauses in the agreement through constant monitoring,” he said, adding that the operator will be given advertising marketing rights for the bus stops which will generate revenue for NMMT.