SEA LINK MAY EARN Rs 20 crore in ad revenue

With advertisers interested in putting up hoardings at the Worli and Bandra ends of the Sea Link, MSRDC is set to do brisk business

SEA LINK MAY EARN Rs 20 crore in ad revenue

With advertisers interested in putting up hoardings at the Worli and Bandra ends of the Sea Link, MSRDC is set to do brisk business

It's still three months before the Bandra-Worli Sea Link (BWSL) opens to vehicular traffic. But the Maharashtra

State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) is already contemplating how the BWSL can generate revenue from well-placed hoardings.u00a0

Recently, a build-operate-transfer tender for the foot overbridge (FOB) at the Worli Sea Face end of the BWSL attracted bids from three out of six major outdoor ad hoarding companies, who also requested that the breadth of this 30-metre-long FOB be increased from the proposed 1.2 metres to 3.6 metres, so there is more space for hoardings.

Anil Agarwal, branch manager, Pioneer Publicity, one of the three bidders, said, "BWSL hoardings are certain to attract advertisers, as will the FOB." MSRDC has stipulated that only companies that have a yearly turnover of over Rs 3 crore in the last three years can bid for the FOB.

Sairam, representative, Prakash Arts, an Andhra Pradesh-based company, which has also bid for the FOB, said, "It is difficult to say what the rates for the hoardings at the FOB will be because of the economic downturn, but it will certainly be good business."

However, Adlab Films Ltd, which bagged advertising rights of the Bandra (E) skywalk for Rs 79 crore for a period of 10 years, bought the tender document for the Worli Seaface FOB, but did not bid, is not as optimistic about
ad revenues the FOB will generate. "The toll charged for BWSL is so high that it might keep several motorists away. So, the FOB isn't a lucrative bet for the advertisers, which is why we didn't go ahead submit tender."

75,000
The number of vehicles the MSRDC expects on the u00a0BWSL every day

May 2009
Is when the BWSL opens u00a0to the public
u00a0
35,000
Vehicles that presently use the Bandra-Mahim route who are expected to take the BWSL

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