JEDDAH — The Jeddah mayoralty has made it mandatory for contractors working on bridge, underpass and tunnel projects to thoroughly calculate the value of these schemes, including how much it would cost to relocate services such as water and electricity, sources from the local authority said. The aim of this measure is to put an end to the problem of faltering and delayed projects. This will also ensure contractors do not charge extra after signing a contract to relocate any such services, the mayoralty added. Such factors are usually seen as the major reasons for the increased cost of projects as well as delays in their implementation, mayoralty sources told Al-Madinah newspaper. They said even if there appear to be no pipelines or wiring interfering with the implementation of a project, contractors should still double check with utility providers, otherwise no financial claims for having to relocate services will be considered. The sources made it clear that authorities involved in the awarding of such projects will not consider or look at any reimbursement request after the signing of the contract, regardless of the reason. — SG
