Announcement of India Receives Fifty-Six Million Dollars IDA Credit for Public Transport Project in Calcutta on June 5, 1980

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE World Bank 1818 H Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20433, U.S.A.• Telephone: (202) 477-1234 IDA NEWS RELEASE NO. 80/86 June 5, 1980 INDIA RECE!VES $.56 .. M.LLUC.N LOA CREDIT FOR PUBLIC TRANSPORT PROJECT IN CALCUTTA India has received approval of a $56 million credit from the International Development Association (IDA), to help t~? Calcutta Metropolitan District alleviate its chronic public transportation problem. IDA is the World Bank's affiliate for concessionary lending. The G:~cutt= Urban Tr~nspcrt Prcject, costing a total of $121.71 mill ion, will improve the transport services provided by the public and private operators in Calcutta, one of the largest cities in the world. It will be implemented by the Calcutta State Transport Corporation {CSTC), the Calcutta Tramways Company (CTC), and the Calcutta Metropolitan • Development Authority (CMDA) . Existing public transportation in Calcutta does not meet the growing demand. Passengers have to endure long delays, overcrowed facilities, and frr~gu1ar ~erv;ce. The project, which will affect about 5.5 mill ion people. will enable the CSTC and the crarnways company to rehabilitate and to reorganize workshops and to replace old buses and trams as well as upgrade and modernize facilities. Provisions have been made for technical assistance to all three implementing organizations to help in transport planning, project monitoring, evaluation an4 to facilitate project implementation. The method of regulation of private bus operations by the Public Vehicles Department will also be changed to provide more incentive for the operators to upgrade their service. It is expected that by the end of 1983/84, the state transport corporation and the tramways company will have succeeded in providing an additional one million passenger trips per day and 470,000 pass~nger trips per day respectively. The Calcutta Metropolitan Development Authority 1·s traffic management and engineering in.vestments wi 11 improve road and traffic conditions • along the city's major corridors, leading to savtngs in operating costs to vehicle operators and time to passengers. The IDA credit is for 50 years, including 10 years of grace. It wi 11 carry no interest but wi 11 bear a service charge of 3/4 of 1% per annum to cover administrative expenses. NOTE: Money figures are expressed 'in U.S. do1.lar equivalents. FORM NO. 1121 (5-76) T E C H N I CAL DA T A PROJECT: COUNTRY: TOTAL COST: Calcutta Urban Transport India $1 21 • 71 mi 11 ion • l DA F I NANC I NG : $56 million, standard IDA terms OTHER FINANCING: Government of West Bengal, $65.71 million Ca 1cut ta Met ropo 1 i tan Deve 1opment Authority· (CMDA) 3, Auckland Wlace Calcutta, 700017. Calcutta Tramways Company Limited (CTC) 12, R.N. Mukherjee Road Calcutta, 700001. Calcutta State Transport Corporation (CSTC) 45, Ganesh Chandra Avenue Calcutta, 700013. PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The project includes:a) increasing financial and operational efficiency of CTC and CSTC and · improving the method of regulation of private bus operations by the Public • Vehicles Department; b) expanding and rehabilitating.workshops of the CSTC, CTC and CMDA so as to improve road and travelling conditions for transport opefators and passengers. New buses and tramcars will be purchased and traffic congestion reduced in the central city; c) providing technical assistance to CTC, CSTC, and CMDA to facilitate project implementation, transport planning and project monitoring evaluation. PROCU.REMENT: The total procurement budget is $65.1 million. About $56 million of contracts for plant, equipment and vehicles will be awarded through international competitive bidding in accordance with IDA guidei ines. The remaining $9.1 mi 11 ion of contracts for equ:+pment and civil works would be awarded through local competitive bidding. CONSULTANTS: The project will provide for local consultants to assist CSTC, CTC, and CMDA in p 1ann i ng and design of the investment program and for studies and surveys of the transpqrtation routes in the project area. ECONOMIC RATE OF RETURN: ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: 23% 1983 • - 0 -