The U. K.-based Serco Group has signed a Rs 115-crore contract to operate and maintain a dedicated 11.3-km bus rapid transit system corridor in Indore.
The contract is for a period of six years from January 2013, when the passenger services are planned to commence.
Serco was selected by Atal Indore City Transport Services Ltd (AICTSL), a special purpose organisation set up to operate and manage the public transport system in the city. AICTSL is jointly owned by the Indore Development Authority and the Indore Municipal Corporation.
Serco will operate and maintain a fleet of 50 low-floor and air conditioned buses, besides managing the operations control centre and a dedicated depot for the corridor.
This will be the first frontline service that Serco will deliver in India. Serco is known for delivering world class transport operations in the United Kingdom and the Middle East and has a presence in India through its business process outsourcing (BPO) operations.
Alpna Khera, Chief Executive Officer for Serco’s business in India, said, “This will be the first transport contract of this type in India to be operated and maintained by a multinational company. At Serco, we look forward to being able to deliver high quality services to BRTS passengers and the wider communities of Indore that it will serve. We have an excellent team of professionals eager to start the project and will ensure that a sustainable operation is implemented, blending the best of local knowledge and capability with international best practice.”
Serco has strong international capabilities in delivering high performing transport services.
In the Middle East, Serco operates the Dubai Metro, the world’s longest driverless train system and has a long history of providing air navigation services.
“With other sites across four continents, Serco is responsible for handling over six million aircraft movements a year. We are also responsible for providing traffic management services in the UK, Australia, Middle East and US,” Khera added.