more-in After spending crores of rupees over a year revamping Church Street, the civic body is now looking for a private agency to maintain it. The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has floated a tender to select a private agency, which will be tasked with sweeping the road twice a day, and using treated water to clean it so that no “dirt is accumulated”. The agency will have to deploy four security personnel who will work in three shifts round the clock to guard the road. The tender, which is for a five-year period, stipulates that the agency will be responsible for maintaining LED street lights, removing illegal hoardings, clearing dustbins and collecting garbage twice a day. Civic officials claim that this is the first time that a road will be handed over to a private party for maintenance. “Church Street is a major landmark in the Central Business District. It is also important that it be maintained properly. Footfall is high compared to other roads as there are many eateries and other commercial establishments. The successful bidder will maintain the road against advertisements, as all the cost involved will be borne by the private agency,” said a civic official. He added that the agency will share the revenue generated from the advertisements with the BBMP. 50 LED panels as adverts The new initiative of the BBMP will allow the agency to display advertisements, 50 LED panels of 0.75 square meters, on electric poles, which many citizens fear will ruin the aesthetics of the street. Urban expert Ashwin Mahesh said” “The BBMP should accept the responsibility of maintaining roads, rather than giving it up to some private agency. The cost involved in maintaining roads like Church Street should be low compared to other conventional roads. The BBMP should also take measures to make other roads walk-able for pedestrians.” The upgraded Church Street is 715 meters long, with 5.5 meter wide road and 3-meter wide pavement. The road has been paved with granite cobblestones and the footpath with granite slabs. The agency will also be tasked with removing OFC cables and ensuring that hawkers and street vendors do not occupy Church Street.

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