Tender floated for EoI of operation & maintenance of city buses in Aurangabad under Smart City Project

Aurangabad Smart City Development Corporation Ltd. (ASCDCL) invites interested parties to respond to EOI of operation & maintenance of city bus service in Aurangabad  through  https://www.mahatenders.gov.in

Key Points

1. Aurangabad Smart City Development Corp to invest in bus stops, depot space, Passenger Information system and GPS tracking system.
2. Aurangabad had grown 20 times since 1951, However, availability of public transportation has turned out to be a major issue in recent years with the city relying primarily on personal motor vehicles and auto-rickshaws for their commuting needs. According the Regional Transport Office data, the number of registered vehicles in Aurangabad has increased significantly over the years, rising from 5,83,027 in 2010 to 10,20,021 in 2015. Of the total number of registered vehicles, the share of two-wheelers is 78%.
3. Daily commuters rely heavily on about 25,000 auto-rickshaws operating in different parts of the city. Additionally, Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) currently operates 30 buses as part of its city bus service on select routes.
4. ASCDCL has identified 60 routes in the city for City Bus service.
5. 150 buses are expected to be procured and made operational in phases over the next two years a part of the Aurangabad Smart City project, in keeping with a proposal prepared by MSRTC concerning the operation of city bus service.
6. The city buses would be a mix of mini-, midi-, and standard size buses compliant with Urban Bus Specifications (UBS) II. Some of the buses may be solely dedicated to the tourist routes in and around Aurangabad.
7.To support the city bus operation, ASCDCL intends to invest in ancillary infrastructure such as bus stops, depot space, Passenger Information System  (PIS) and GPS tracking. The buses would be operated and maintained on Gross Cost Contract (GCC) basis where the operator would be paid for the service on the basis of operated kilometers with the authority retaining fare collection and revenue from it—further details are laid out in the next section.

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Scope of Work

1. ASCDCL intends to select a Service Provider to operate and maintain high quality buses—with GPS  tracking, Passenger Information System (PIS), and other on-bus ITS features—for a tentative period      of 5 years. The Service Provider shall operate the buses on designated routes as specified by ASCDCL at the time of issuing the RFP. Buses would be provided by the Authority as per the specified timeline: in the first phase 50 buses would be made available at the time of commencement; in the second phase up to 100 buses may be procured and made available for operation within two years of commencement. The estimated date of commencement is within nine months of issuing this EOI.

2. The fleet will be a combination of micro-, mini-, midi-, and 12 m AC/Non-AC diesel buses complian with Urban Bus Specifications II issued by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. In the first phase of the project, 50 new fully built non A/C diesel BS IV Midi buses of 900mm floor height compliant with UBSII specifications will be provided. The remaining number of buses of each type will  be specified at the time of issuing of the request for proposal (RFP) for  operations and maintenance of buses.

3. The Service Provider will be responsible for hiring drivers, supervisors, and maintenance crews. The Service Provider will operate bus services as per a daily schedule provided by the Authority, subject to a guaranteed minimum number of daily km. The Service Provider will be subject to a maintenance and performance schedule, to be specified at the time of issuing of RFP.

4. The Service Provider will incur all the expenditure pertaining to day-to-day operations of the buses like, fuel, manpower, maintenance, taxes, etc., and also be responsible for legal compliances like vehicle fitness certificates, pollution under control certifiates, permits, insurance, road tax, etc., and bear all the costs pertaining to the same.

5. The Service Provider will ensure compliance with labour laws of the state and provide statutory benefits to its workers. The Service Provider will also take out insurance for their staff and bear all expenses towards the same.

6. The Authority will prepare a service plan in consultation with the Service Provider. Costs pertaining to mobilizing resources/appointing consultants towards perparing the service plan will be borne by the Service Provider.

7. The operator will have to submit bank guarantee/performance guarantee for the period of contract, the details of which will be specified at the RFP stage.
8. Infrastructure development at depot such as parking infrastructure, levelled land area, boundaries, sheds, fuel station, etc., will be the responsibility of the Service Provider, who will develop and maintain the same through the end of the contract period. A tentative list of depot infrastructure to be developed and maintained by the Service Provider is included in Appendix 11. In addition, the Service Provider will be responsible for building workshops and procuring tools and equipment for bus maintenance. The Service Provider will carry out bus cleaning regularly as per an agreement with the Authority. It will be the responsibility of the Service Provider to bear all costs incurred on spare part replacement and all accidental repairs.

9. The collection of fares will be undertaken through a separate contract by the Authority, and the Service Provider shall be required to co-operate with the Authority to ensure collection of fares. The Service Provider will not collect fares, nor will the Provider receive fare revenue directly. The authority will identify and secure funding sources for the system and compensate the operator for services provided. The Service Provider shall be paid as per the actual operated km, with adjustments made in accordance with minimum assured km as per specific formulae. The formulae for calculating payments to the operator will also include provisions for considering variations in fuel prices and other variables. In addition, a list of incentives will be developed to ensure that the required performance is achieved. All rights to advertisement, sponsorship, or naming rights associated with the system will remain with the Authority.

10. The Service Provider would be required to mobilize finances, procure, develop necessary infrastructure, and operate the city bus service in accordance with the specifications and standards set out and under other applicable laws/ bylaws governing such operations.

11. An agreement for development, operation, management, financing of the Project (“Concession Agreement”) with development milestones and operations requirements/ specifications/ performance standards clearly set out is expected to be executed between ASCDCL and the Service Provider for the project. The draft Concession Agreement would also provide specific rights towards use of road infrastructure, bus stops, and bus depot for use by the Concessionaire.