By Kevon Browne
St Kitts and Nevis (WINN): Following a meeting on Friday (August 21) with the stakeholders of the West Line Bus Terminal, a dry run of the new terminal and its new
protocols is expected to last two weeks in the first instance.
The dry run is set to begin on August 26.
The meeting included the Traffic Department, Public Works, the Ministry of
Infrastructure, the Bus Association, the Ministry of Tourism Transport and
Ports, and SCASPA.
Carlene Henry Morton, Permanent Secretary for Tourism, Transport and Ports, a guest on
WINN FM’s Traffic Talk said “We wanted to get all of the various perspectives, we didn’t want anyone to feel imposed upon, we wanted to make sure all of the various voices were around the table.”
Morton also asked for cooperation from the outset especially during the
dry run as that would illuminate what works and what does not so as to
make the official opening run smoothly.
Inspector Phillip Eddy and Nicholson ‘Rambo’ Webster, President of the
West Line Bus Association were also on the show with Mrs Morton and spoke
about the new operational protocols.
“There will be a little change in the normal operation. Normally the
busses would line up from east to west but we are going to reverse that
and we are going to put the buses facing from west to east. So we are
going to have two sides like normal and we have a drive through area.
Now what we are going to do differently starting with the buses they are
going to enter from the western side closer to Westbourne Ghaut there’ll
be a bus only entrance point there” Inspector Eddy said.
Other users of the terminal will have to use the original entrance on
the eastern side of the terminal and follow the usual one way route.
Webster indicated the aim of the new operational protocols exist to make
the terminal more efficient, user friendly and inclusive.
Other amenities at the new terminal includes wheelchair ramps, loading areas for buses, parking spaces for vendors and parking slots for taxis, boat captains, security and customs.
