MMRDA issues new indigenous vendor policy for Mumbai Monorail spares

Mumbai (Urban Transport News): To promote local manufactures, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has initiated an indigenous vendor policy to make spare parts for the Mumbai Monorail. MMRDA is facing problems in operation of Mumbai Monorail in the city due to a lack of spare parts in India. Recently, due to non-availability of current collector shoes (CCS), which collects electricity from the third rail on the guideway and gives power to the train, operations of Monorail were suspended for a few days. The CCS was being procured from a UK-based company, Faiveley Brecknell Willis as the previous operator LTSE refused to provide the spare part citing illegal termination of contract. MMRDA now willing t procure the CCS from a Pune-based manufacturer. Explaining about lack of spares for Monorail, a senior official said,

A key issue with the procurement of spare parts is that we are completely reliant on foreign companies. Even if the parts are to be repaired, we need to send them abroad. It was decided to identify a few companies who had the competence to develop these parts.

Under the new indigenous vendor policy, the vendor will bear the cost of development and manufacturing of the parts and in return, MMRDA will pay it once the parts are found suitable by the user department. Updating the delivery of existing orders, a MMRDA official said, "This does not mean we will not be procuring from global companies. For instance, we will be getting the next shipment of CCS from Faiveley Brecknell Willis by September.”

He said that vendors globally had lost faith with the Monorail project largely because the previous operator, Scomi Engineering, had not paid its dues. “At present, they (vendors) start manufacturing only after receiving payment from MMRDA. This leads to delays. Moreover, since we have made more rakes functional after taking over the operations, the requirement of spares has increased,” he added.

Talking on the procurement of new rakes, an MMRDA spokesperson said,  “We have finalised tenders to procure 10 new monorail rakes, which will be finalised by September 15 and will be delivered in 21 months". It is in the process of repairing two more and aims to have seven rakes running by September. In July, the monthly ridership in monorail fell to 2.13 lakh from 5.55 lakh in March. However, the MMRDA officials are hoping to imrpovement of services in future.