Long-awaited upgrades on the Cheapside Bus Terminal, set to be renamed the Seaview Terminal, are expected to begin before the end of the year, Minister of Transport and Works Santia Bradshaw announced on Friday.
The $6 million-plus makeover is coming after years of calls from PSV operators for improved facilities.
On Thursday, Roy Raphael, the chairman of the Alliance Operators of Public Transport (AOPT), told Barbados TODAY about delays in improving the working conditions of operators who ply their trade out of the Cheapside van stand, complaining that PSV workers are continually forced to use external bathroom facilities because there are none at the terminal.
While acknowledging that the new Seaview terminal had been discussed for some time, Bradshaw said all the designs have been completed at a cost of approximately $1 million.
“That would have included, obviously, paying for the designs and being able to make sure that we could get the mechanical engineers and plumbing sorted out for the actual design,” Bradshaw said. “We have gone out to tender for that aspect; the tender would have closed recently. I think they would have extended the bid validity period for a couple of weeks or so.
“So, I am hopeful,” the acting prime minister added, “that maybe by the end of next month, we should be in a position to have that tender awarded; and then we will move, as soon as that is completed, to actually, the construction of the terminal… in terms of the actual tender for the terminal.”
She also explained that there will be some changes to the original design of the facility.
“We had a site meeting with The Barbados Police Service, the various associations, the Transport Authority, the Transport Board, to look at the old designs, and to make modifications to it. Just this morning, the association and myself, we have been talking about the whole issue of making sure that we have charging ports for the electric vehicles.
I don’t recall that that was something we had looked at, at the time, because the discussion was not so much in the public domain as it is now.
“But I think we will be able to modify the designs just to include provision for that in the terminal, especially if the sector is now buying in on government’s focus of being able to make that transition to electric vehicles.”
Asked to project when construction will begin, Bradshaw replied: “I would say, before the end of this year; that’s the intention. We have the monies budgeted; the plans have already been approved by Town and Country Planning. The mechanical, engineering, plumbing tender is what is currently ongoing, with a view to being able to have those designs completed. Once those are completed, we would have the full package then to be able to put out the tender for the construction of the terminal.”
The minister noted that while the estimated cost quoted last year was $6 million, “maybe things would have gone up a little bit,” she said, adding that “at least we have the funds to be able to start the process.”
In January last year, the government announced plans to significantly improve the facilities at Cheapside for the PSVs, which would include the provision of commuters with sheltered waiting areas, bathroom facilities, and improved loading bays.
The terminal will also include an area for vendors and is expected to address longstanding concerns about the conditions and safety at the current site, Bradshaw said.
emmanueljoseph@barbadostoday.bb
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