Border Crossing and turnaround Study for Kolkata-Kathmandu Corridor Monitoring
Page 1
TERMS OF REFERENCE
KOLKATA-KATHMANDU CORRIDOR MONITORING: BORDER CROSSING AND TURNAROUND STUDY
1.
BACKGROUND
The Treaty of Transit between India and Nepal allows Nepalese goods to transit through designated
routes in India, with the ports of Kolkata and Haldia serving as gateway for the movement of third
country trade cargo by road to Birgunj as well as other border customs stations or by rail to Raxaul
railhead and further to the Inland Container Depot (ICD) on the Nepalese side in containers. From the
customs points, the cargo is transported by road to Kathmandu or other destinations in Nepal. In order
to make Nepalese goods competitive in the international market and to lower the cost of imported
goods, the efficiency of the transportation setup has to be continuously enhanced.
Birgunj ICD and Birgunj customs have been recorded as the most prominent gateways for Nepal's
international trade. However, the movement of freight vehicles within the country is not yet fully known.
The information is important for planning for the improvement of transport corridors as well as collection
and distribution centers.
The World Bank is financing the Nepal India Regional Trade and Transport project, designed to
decrease transport time and logistics costs for bilateral trade between Nepal and India and transit trade
along the Kathmandu-Kolkata corridor by reducing key infrastructure bottlenecks in Nepal and by
supporting the adoption of modern approaches to border management. The present study is a part of
the corridor study.
Similar study has been done by Kathmandu University, School of Economics focusing on finding the
efficiency of Raxaul, Birgunj and Bhairahawa customs with support from DfID. The study has found the
border crossing time at Raxaul-Birgunj border post to be 2.3 days in average at present. The figure
needs to be biannually verified in order to monitor the efficiency. Additionally, the one-time observation
of cross-border goods traffic is envisaged to determine the consumption centers of the imported goods
and size of facility at the proposed Kathmandu CFS.
NITDB is seeking professional service in the form of a consulting firm which could deploy appropriately
qualified teams to achieve the study objectives for the proposed study to determine the border crossing
time and turnaround time as a part of Kolkata-Kathmandu Corridor Monitoring.
2.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this assignment is to complete the ground work in order to:
A. Determine the border crossing time for cargo transport
B. Determine the transportation time from Birgunj to various locations up to Kathmandu
C. Determine cargo origination and consumption centers from Birgunj to Kathmandu
D. Determine turnaround-time for freight trucks and train entering Nepal from India
E. Help to determine capacity of Kathmandu CFS and need for Freight Collection centers at other
locations
F. Help to determine a framework for monitoring of cargo movement within Nepal
3.
SCOPE
The scope of works is as follows:
A. License-plate monitoring of the movement of cargo on truck entering from India and joining the
queue at Raxaul to Kathmandu and back to Raxaul in a span of 7 days;
B. License-plate monitoring of the movement of cargo on train from its arrival at Raxaul to Birgunj ICD
and back to Raxaul in a span of 7 days;
C. Monitoring the movement of cargo on train to Raxaul andLicense-plate monitoring from the
reloading on truck at entry and joining the queue at Raxaul to Kathmandu and back to Raxaul in a
span of 7 days and in 6 hours shift as tabulated below;
D. Hiring, training, deploying, facilitating and supervising the license-plate enumerators and collection
of completed formats;
E. Developing data entry formats, reporting formats and report submission.
F. Data recording stations as tabulated below:
Mode
Direction:
Station Location
Container truck India to Nepal Raxaul ICD
Birgunj Customs
Parwanipur South
Data collection
Recording of date
and time
Code Shift Days
join queue
1
3
7
entry
2
2
7
exit
3
2
7
join queue
4
3
7
entry
5
2
7
exit
6
2
7
passing
7
3
7
Mode
Direction:
Station Location
Parwanipur West
Pathlaiya South
Pathlaiya East
Pathlaiya West
Hetauda West
Gaidakot
Aamptari
Mugling East
Mugling West
Kalanki
Container truck Nepal to India Raxaul ICD
Birgunj Customs
Container train
Parwanipur South
Parwanipur West
Pathlaiya South
Pathlaiya East
Pathlaiya West
Hetauda West
Gaidakot
Aamptari
Mugling East
Mugling West
Kalanki
India to Nepal Raxaul station
Birgunj ICD
Nepal to India Birgunj ICD
Raxaul station
Data collection
Recording of date
and time
Code Shift Days
passing
8
3
7
passing
9
3
7
passing
10
3
7
passing
11
3
7
passing
12
3
7
passing
13
3
7
passing
14
3
7
passing
16
3
7
passing
17
3
7
passing
18
3
7
join queue
19
3
7
entry
20
2
7
exit
21
2
7
join queue
22
3
7
entry
23
2
7
exit
24
2
7
passing
25
3
7
passing
26
3
7
passing
27
3
7
passing
28
3
7
passing
29
3
7
passing
30
3
7
passing
31
3
7
passing
32
3
7
passing
34
3
7
passing
35
3
7
passing
36
3
7
arrival
37
3
7
unloading (from
train to truck to
Nepal)
38
2
7
departure
39
2
7
arrival
40
3
7
off loading
41
2
7
loading
42
2
7
departure
43
3
7
arrival
44
3
7
loading (from
truck from Nepal
to train)
45
2
7
departure
46
3
7
Supervision/Facilitation
Mode
Direction
Station Location
Recording of date Collection Facilitation
and time
Code Shift Days
Mode
Direction:
Container truck
Container truck
Container truck
Container truck
Container train
Container train
India to Nepal
Nepal to India
India to Nepal
India to Nepal
India to Nepal
Nepal to India
4.
DELIVERABLES
4.1.
Inception Report
Station Location
Raxaul ICD
Raxaul ICD
Birgunj Customs
Birgunj Customs
Raxaul station
Raxaul station
Data collection
Recording of date
and time
Code Shift Days
join queue
1
1
7
join queue
19
1
7
join queue
4
1
7
join queue
22
1
7
arrival
37
1
7
arrival
44
1
7
The Inception Report shall essentially contain the following:
A. Detailed methodology, daily work plan and deployment schedule of the enumerators;
B. Elaboration on field data entry formats, details on data collection stations, data collection
supervision and collection
C. Data consolidation and analysis formats
4.2.
Draft Final Report
The Draft Final Report shall contain the following:
A. Data consolidation in tabular form with parameters: recording station, mode (rail or truck), license
number, type of cargo (container, bulk, break-bulk, or empty), hours of day, date;
B. Data analysis to get the following:
i.
Number of containers entering Nepal by size (40 feet or 20 feet), time (day and hour), mode
(on rail or on truck);
ii.
Duration of queue length for trucks at Raxaul ICD and Birgunj Customs on the way to Nepal;
iii.
Duration of queue length for trucks at Raxaul ICD and Birgunj Customs on the way to India;
iv. Duration a Nepal-bound freight train has to spend at Raxaul for loading and unloading;
v.
Duration the trucks entering and exiting Nepal have to spend inside the ICD premises at
Raxaul and Birgunj
vi. Out of the freight trucks coming from India the number and percentage travelling up to
Parwanipur, Pathlaiya, Hetauda, Narayanghat and Kathmandu. Also the freight traffic heading
east from Pathlaiya, west from Narayanghat and west from Mugling need to be determined.
vii. Out of the freight trucks entering India, the traffic originating from within Birgunj-Parwanipur,
Parwanipur-Pathlaiya, west of Pathlaiya, Pathlaiya-Hetauda, Hetauda-Narayanghat, west of
Narayanghat, west of Mugling, Mugling-Kathmandu valley needs to be determined.
viii. Turnaround time for Indian trucks and Nepalese trucks;
ix. Turnaround time for freight train;
C. Maps showing field data entry points and freight movement routes weighed by traffic volume;
D. Addressing the issues encountered during field work.
4.3.
Final Report
The Final Report shall contain the following:
A. Incorporation of comments from the Client on the Draft Final Report;
B. Data from supplementary survey to fill any data gaps;
C. Supplementary volume with the field data collection original sheets.
The Client may ask the Consultant to present the study findings at the Client’s office.
4.4.
Delivery schedule
Deliverable
Delivery deadline
Number of copies
Inception
Report
Within 2 weeks of
Contract Agreement
3 hard copies, 3 soft copies in pen-drive
Draft Final
Report
2 months from
Contract Agreement
5 hard copies, 5 soft copies in pen-drive
Final Report
3 months of Contract Main report:
Agreement
5 hard copies and 5 soft copies in pen-drive
Supplementary report:
1 hard copy, scanned copies in the pen-drive with main volume
5.
REPORTING
A. Weekly Progress Report through email to the coordinator assigned by the Client;
B. 3 hard copies of Monthly Progress Report.
6.
SERVICE DURATION
The duration of the assignment is estimated to be 3 calendar months.
7.
FORM OF CONTRACT
The form of contract will be Lump-sum.
8.
KEY-EXPERT
The Monitoring and Evaluation Expert is the key-expert for the project. He will be assisted by Facilitators
to guide and support enumerators at Raxaul train station, Raxaul ICD and Birgunj Customs. At other
locations, the enumerators are expected to collect the data independently.
The Key-expert is expected to be on the field all the time during the field data collection work and at
office while preparing reports. Specific requirements are:
Minimum education:
Graduate in Engineering
Preferred education:
Masters in Traffic Engineering, Engineering Economics or Business
Administration
Minimum experience:
3 projects on feasibility of SRN roads or ICD; or teaching traffic studies at
university level
Preferred experience:
Managing traffic count and traffic analysis; Managing surveys with at least
100 field level staff
Key Responsibilities:
Select, train, deploy, guide, facilitate and supervise Data Collection
Facilitators and Enumerators; Develop, produce, distribute and collect field
data entry forms; Guide, supervise and cross-check computer entry of field
data; Data analysis to match deliverable requirements; Reporting; Manage
report delivery.
9.
FACILITIES TO BE PROVIDED BY THE CLIENT
In order to support the consulting firm, NITDB will provide the following:
A. A Liaison officer to facilitate the discussions with the authorities in India and Nepal
B. Introductory letter to the ICD and Customs officials in India and Nepal
ANNEX 1: SYNOPSIS OF EVALUATION CRITERIA

General scoring [maximum score 100, passing score 70]

Business objective and expertise of the firm [mandatory criteria]
 Registered as a Civil Engineering Consultant
 Updated VAT and Tax Clearance
 At least 10 completed assignments in the last 5 years on feasibility, detailed design or
construction supervision of road projects

Corporate capacity of the firm over the last 5 years [maximum score: 20]
 Average annual turnovers of 3 best years: minimum of NRs 2,000,000: [max score 3]
 Value of a completed project: minimum of NRs 2,000,000 [max score 15]
 Proven capacity to work along the southern border: minimum of 1 project in the bordering
districts of minimum NRs 500,000 contract amount [max score 2]

General work experience of the firm over the last 5 years [maximum score: 20]
 Years of establishment: counted for only one of the partners in case of JV [max score 6]
 Surveys for civil engineering works: minimum contract amount NRs 200,000 [max score 14]

Similar work experience of the consulting firm and its complexity [maximum score 50]
 Traffic survey: with simultaneous recording at a minimum of 25 stations, and a minimum of one
project [max score 30]
 Traffic analysis for roads in Strategic Road Network or dry-ports [max score 20]

A list of relevant personnel with qualification, experience with the firm [maximum score: 10]
 Traffic Engineer: graduate, 3 yr experience r [max score 5]
 Statistical Analyst: graduate, 3 yr experience [max score 5]

Commitment for adherence to the code of ethics and anticorruption policy [mandatory criteria]
 Commitment for adherence code of ethics
 Commitment for adherence to the anticorruption policy of the World Bank
ANNEX 2: WORLD BANK POLICY ON CORRUPT AND FRAUDULENT PRACTICES
Guidelines for Selection and Employment of Consultants under IBRD Loans and IDA Credits &
Grants by World Bank Borrowers, dated January 2011:
“Fraud and Corruption
It is the Bank’s policy to require that Borrowers (including beneficiaries of Bank loans), consultants, and
their agents (whether declared or not), sub-contractors, sub-consultants, service providers, or suppliers,
and any personnel thereof, observe the highest standard of ethics during the selection and execution of
Bank-financed contracts [footnote: In this context, any action taken by a consultant or any of its
personnel, or its agents, or its sub-consultants, sub-contractors, services providers, suppliers, and/or
their employees, to influence the selection process or contract execution for undue advantage is
improper.]. In pursuance of this policy, the Bank:
(a) defines, for the purposes of this provision, the terms set forth below as follows:
(i)
“corrupt practice” is the offering, giving, receiving, or soliciting, directly or indirectly, of
anything of value to influence improperly the actions of another party1;
(ii)
“fraudulent practice” is any act or omission, including misrepresentation, that knowingly or
recklessly misleads, or attempts to mislead, a party to obtain financial or other benefit or to
avoid an obligation2;
(iii) “collusive practices” is an arrangement between two or more parties designed to achieve an
improper purpose, including to influence improperly the actions of another party3;
(iv) “coercive practices” is impairing or harming, or threatening to impair or harm, directly or
indirectly, any party or the property of the party to influence improperly the actions of a party4;
(v)
“obstructive practice” is
(aa) deliberately destroying, falsifying, altering, or concealing of evidence material to the
investigation or making false statements to investigators in order to materially impede a
Bank investigation into allegations of a corrupt, fraudulent, coercive, or collusive
1
For the purpose of this sub-paragraph, “another party” refers to a public official acting in relation to the
selection process or contract execution. In this context “public official” includes World Bank staff and employees
of other organizations taking or reviewing selection decisions.
2
For the purpose of this sub-paragraph, “party” refers to a public official; the terms “benefit” and “obligation”
relate to the selection process or contract execution; and the “act or omission” is intended to influence the
selection process or contract execution.
3
For the purpose of this sub-paragraph, “parties” refers to participants in the procurement or selection process
(including public officials) attempting either themselves, or through another person or entity not participating in
the procurement or selection process, to simulate competition or to establish prices at artificial, noncompetitive levels, or are privy to each other’s bid prices or other conditions.
4
For the purpose of this sub-paragraph, “party” refers to a participant in the selection process or contract
execution.
practice; and/or threatening, harassing, or intimidating any party to prevent it from
disclosing its knowledge of matters relevant to the investigation or from pursuing the
investigation, or
(bb) acts intended to materially impede the exercise of the Bank’s inspection and audit
rights;
(b) will reject a proposal for award if it determines that the consultant recommended for award or any of
its personnel, or its agents, or its sub-consultants, sub-contractors, services providers, suppliers,
and/or their employees, has, directly or indirectly, engaged in corrupt, fraudulent, collusive,
coercive, or obstructive practices in competing for the contract in question;
(c) will declare misprocurement and cancel the portion of the Loan allocated to a contract if it
determines at any time that representatives of the Borrower or of a recipient of any part of the
proceeds of the Loan were engaged in corrupt, fraudulent, collusive, coercive, or obstructive
practices during the selection process or the implementation of the contract in question, without the
Borrower having taken timely and appropriate action satisfactory to the Bank to address such
practices when they occur, including by failing to inform the Bank in a timely manner they knew of
the practices;
(d) will sanction a firm or an individual at any time, in accordance with prevailing Bank’s sanctions
procedures5, including by publicly declaring such firm or an ineligible, either indefinitely or for a
stated period of time:
(i) to be awarded a Bank-financed contract, and
(ii) to be a nominated6 sub-consultant, supplier, or service provider of an otherwise eligible firm
being awarded a Bank-financed contract.
5
A firm or an individual may be declared ineligible to be awarded a Bank-financed contract upon (i) completion
of the Bank’s sanctions proceedings as per its sanctions procedures, including inter alia: cross-debarment as
agreed with other International Financial Institutions, including Multilateral Development Banks, and through
the application of the World Bank Group corporate administrative procurement sanctions procedures for fraud
and corruption; and (ii) as a result of temporary suspension or early temporary suspension in connection with an
ongoing sanctions proceedings. See footnote 12 and paragraph 8 of Appendix 1 of these Guidelines.
6
A nominated sub-consultant, supplier, or service provider is one which has been either (i) included by the
consultant in its proposal because it brings specific and critical experience and know-how that are accounted for
in the technical evaluation of the consultant’s proposal for the particular services; or (ii) appointed by the
Borrower.