Emphasizing on the need for implementing the public-private partnership (PPP) model in development projects, Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) chief- Dilip Dhole has mooted a proposal to construct gantries (bridge- like overhead structures with platforms supporting double sided outdoor space for advertising) on build, finance, operate, maintain and transfer basis in the twin-city. The overhead gantries and cantilevers will display traffic related instructions and directional signage to ensure better navigation for motorists.
The civic administration plans to rope in private agencies for the construction of the gantries in exchange of advertising rights for a period extending 15 years. 21 major stretches of roads in the twin-city and on the highway have been identified to execute the project on a PPP model in the first phase. The proposal has found its place in the agenda of MBMC’s monthly general body meeting which is scheduled to be held on an offline mode on 1, December, after nearly 15 months.
The information provided in the summarized version of the proposal states that as per an estimation conducted in April, this year, the civic administration will have to spend more than Rs. 22 crore if it opts to execute the project on its own.
Staring at an acute cash crunch, the civic administration in a desperate bail-out measure has already dipped into its reserves by availing overdraft facilities on fixed deposits valued at Rs. 122 crore. Months after the tragic incident which claimed four lives, leaving 11 pedestrians and motorists injured due to a hoarding collapse at a traffic signal in Pune, the MBMC had launched a drive to pull down rickety gantries in the twin-city in 2019.
