Uribe assures Transmetro funding

Colombia's President Alvaro Uribe is to approve Barranquilla's Transmetro public transport system September 7, local paper La República reported. Uribe will give his approval to Conpes, Colombia's national council for social and economic policy, to ensure the government's 70% contribution to the project's costs. The presidential action follows the opening of a funding gap in March after the national planning department (DNP) and finance ministry redirected some of the funds originally earmarked for the project. A 3.5% gasoline surcharge will provide most of the 30% local counterpart contribution. Following the approval, a call for bids is expected in October with works contracts to be awarded in November and December. The 118bn-peso (US$41.9mn) TransMetro is scheduled to start operations in 2005. Works involve developing 23km of exclusive bus and bicycle lanes along city avenues in two phases, as well as improving existing bus routes, accesses, terminals and stations, and encouraging public transport use. Barranquilla, capital of Atlántico department, has some 1.2 million residents.