ORR gates may take their toll on people

HYDERABAD: Every time you travel on the proposed Outer Ring Road (ORR), you may have to shell out a fee for using the roadway. Toll gates will be in place on nearly 45 per cent of the 162 km ORR stretch.
Moreover, the ORR might be stretched to three phases instead of two decided earlier. The Hyderabad Urban Development Authority (Huda) is planning to split the existing phase-II works into two parts and the final portion of the road would be completed on the basis of build-operate-transfer (BoT) model, sources said.
The works relating to the latest proposal of ORR phase-III would be handed over to successful bidders, who will have to set up toll gates on a stretch of ORR whose length would be decided once the Huda gets the nod to the latest proposal.However, the authorities are proposing that the toll gates be set up on at least 70-km stretch.
The authorities would decide the number of toll gates or toll booths to be permitted on the ORR based on the length of works and estimated cost of the project.
However, there would be no toll gates on the ORR stretch to be completed in phase-I, connecting Gachibowli and Shamshabad. Huda will be constructing the phase-I with its own money.
Of the 162-km ORR, 24 km will be covered during phase-I. Consultants have reportedly suggested to Huda to divide the 132-km length of phase-II into two portions, splitting the ORR works into three phases...
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Further, the officials suggested that the works of at least half portion of 132 km be handed over to private companies on the BoT model. The private agencies will take up the works, collect toll and later transfer the road to Huda after the completion of the BoT period.
"It depends on the private agencies keen on BoT model. As of now, we are proposing that a stretch of about 70 km should be given on BoT model so that the private agencies will bear all the expanses and then collect toll from road users," sources said.
Huda is planning to finalise the tenders for phase-II works by October this year so that works could start in January next.