Making efforts to tackle the increase of accidents and traffic congestion in the city, the Public Infrastructure Ministry has announced that it is in the planning phase to have bus terminals set up throughout the city.
This information was disclosed by the City Engineer, Colvern Venture, on Thursday at the final Traffic Department press conference for the year.
The project is a collaborative effort with the Mayor and City Council (M&CC).
“There is currently a study that is being ongoing to do a study in Georgetown, which is the hub at the moment, to look at transportation in terms of creating bus terminals in various sections of the city,” he said.
Venture noted that this study is being funded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
The City Engineer who is also attached to the Ministry of Public Infrastructure asserted that the implementation of the bus terminals will further assist the controversial parking meter project in easing congestion within the city.
According to Venture, the study is expected to conclude in March 2017, after which, there will be “some amount of implementation”.
“There is some that will have to be taken to the level of Cabinet to deal with implementation of some major recommendations that will be coming out from those studies,” he stated.
An overhead view of the Diamond intersection, East Bank Demerara
The City Engineer however could not disclose the implementation cost, as he reiterated that the “study is still ongoing”.
He nevertheless disclosed that the Traffic Department’s subvention for 2017 will increase from $3.5 million to $5 million.
During May this year, Town Clerk Royston King had disclosed that plans were afoot to implement mechanisms to ease traffic congestion in the City via a “shuttle system.”
At that time, a huge campaign was ongoing to have the city cleaned and buses were being removed from their regular parking places around the Stabroek Market Square.
He had indicated then that in the midst of reorganising the transport system, there was hope for the existence of terminals at the outer parts of the city.
King had disclosed at the time, that a permanent solution towards the congestion in the city was being thought out, however he could not specify when and where the terminals would be situated as the idea was then being discussed.
He had also highlighted that there was no intention to increase transportation expenses for individuals through this ‘shuttle system’ enforcement.
King pointed out that this project was not only seen as a better means of transportation but as the opening of many job opportunities for individuals.
