MOP takes up Transantiago concession works

Chile's public works ministry (MOP) has taken up the highway works that will be put out to concession that fall under capital Santiago's US$1.62bn urban transport plan Transantiago. The announcement was made by Mauricio Arretx, project head for Transantiago's highway works at the ministry's concessions department, during a seminar held at the British Embassy in Santiago Tuesday to showcase and update the ministry's US$1.93bn, 2003-2004 concessions portfolio. The works to be put out to concession total close to US$200mn and will entail building exclusive bus lanes along stretches of the city's main thoroughfare- Bernardo O'Higgins Avenue (also known as the Alameda) - that cuts through Santiago east to west, he explained. The stretches are: Las Rejas-Estacion Central, the Pajaritos stretch (La Farfana-Alameda), and the Santa Rosa stretch (Alameda-Americo Vespucio beltway). Two smaller connections are also envisioned. In addition, some 83 transfer stations will be built to connect buses and the metro. The largest stations will be able to handle 10,000 passengers/hr, of which four will be built, and the smallest stations will be able to handle 1,000-2,000 passengers/hr, 40 of which will be built. Arretx said the projects will probably be put out to concession under the BOT scheme, although the final form of payment has not yet been determined. One possibility is that the concession takes a percentage of proceeds from user fees. Transantiago aims to create a modern integrated bus and subway network by 2005, which is expected to reduce traffic congestion and pollution. The percentage of the city's 5.5 million-plus residents using public transport system has fallen to half from 68% 10 years ago.