The Karnataka Cabinet has approved tenders for 10 additional packages under Bengaluru’s revamped solid waste management system, which aims to replace ageing garbage collection vehicles and raise the city’s overall waste-handling capacity beyond 9,000 t. The decision was announced by Minister Krishna Byre Gowda after the Cabinet meeting on Thursday. The new system has been divided into 33 contract packages. Work orders for five packages were issued in the first round, while tenders will now be floated for 10 more. The contracts will run for seven years, with contractors responsible for investing in vehicles, personnel and other resources. The proposed arrangement will reduce the number of vehicles from around 5,200 to 4,900, while introducing higher-capacity three-wheelers and four-wheelers fitted with a Global Positioning System (GPS). The number of three-wheelers will fall to around 1,900, with approximately 3,000 four-wheelers added to the fleet. Some vehicles will have capacities of 3 t and 5 t. The existing fleet has a combined carrying capacity of approximately 5,600 t, but many vehicles are 15 to 20 years old and operate inefficiently. GPS installation will be mandatory across the new fleet to help ensure coverage of every road and regular collection of waste. In the first round, negotiations reduced the average bid premium to 14 per cent above estimated costs, while the average premium for the latest packages is around 8 per cent. Investment in each package is estimated at around Rs. 100 mn on average, although the amount will vary. Once all 33 packages are awarded, expenditure over seven years is projected to range between Rs. 40 bn and Rs. 45 bn, depending on bids and rates for the remaining contracts. The government currently spends around Rs. 5.98 bn annually on primary collection and secondary transportation, while the corresponding annual cost under the new system is estimated at Rs. 6.1 bn to Rs. 6.2 bn. The Cabinet also discussed rising fuel costs affecting state-run transport corporations but deferred a decision on bus fare increases.