Minister of Housing, Transport, Water and Works, Hon. Robert Pickersgill
Designs Already Done for Overhead Bridges in Corporate Area - Pickersgill
KINGSTON, (JIS):
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Minister of Housing, Transport, Water and Works, Hon. Robert Pickersgill has reiterated that the Government was still looking at introducing overhead bridges in the Corporate Area, in order to improve the flow of traffic.
Mr. Pickersgill pointed out that the construction of overhead bridges would play a vital role in easing traffic congestion, which has become a major concern for the travelling public in the Kingston Metropolitan Area.
"The fact is.we are now into the era of overhead bridges and we can't escape that, because there is traffic as we move up from Marcus Garvey to the Portia Simpson Miller square and it gets closer and closer to Half-Way-Tree," the Minister said.
"Traffic congestion is upon us; it is a matter that is not arising, it has arisen," he added.
Mr. Pickersgill was updating journalists about the various programmes and projects being undertaken by the Ministry, at a press briefing held at the Jamaica Pegasus last week.
Responding to questions as to when the overhead bridges would be introduced, the Minister said that this would depend, to a great extent, on the availability of financial resources.
"Let me just say that all the studies and designs have been done. We have all of them, but at the end of the day it is always a question of resources," he said.
He noted, however, that the Government was looking at the various ways in which a project of this nature could be funded, including investment from international sources.
Work Advanced on Half-Way-Tree Transport Centre
KINGSTON, (JIS):
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Minister of Housing, Transport, Water and Works, Hon. Robert Pickersgill has said that construction of the Half-Way-Tree Transport Centre was advanced, with
70 per cent of the work already completed.
The Minister, who was addressing a recent press conference at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel, said that the project was on target to meet the October completion date.
"The centre, which will enhance the operations of the Jamaica Urban Transit Company within the Half-Way-Tree area, is slated to be completed on target in October and we are hoping that it will be completed before that time," he stated.
According to Minister Pickersgill, the transport centre, the first of its kind in Jamaica, would be a key component in the restructuring of the transport system in the Kingston Metropolitan Area and serve as model for other transportation centres and a catalyst for future urban development.
To date, $33.2 million Euros has been spent on the development of the world class facility, which will boast passenger holding areas; spacious bus bays; commercial outlets; public sanitary facilities; and ticket outlets; among other things.
"The centre will be supported by 17 commercial shops, four commercial kiosks, two security booths and a 900 square (feet) terrace, capable of accommodating three fast food type outlets," Minister Pickersgill informed.
The commercial shops, he indicated, "are very sought after" as the Ministry has received more than 400 applications, which is an overwhelming number, when compared to the available spaces in the centre.
The Half-Way-Tree Transport Centre is being funded by the government of Belgium through the Commertz Bank of Belgium at a cost of $49 million Euros.
Work on Expansion of Montego Bay Port to Begin This Year
KINGSTON, (JIS):
Friday, March 16, 2007
Minister of Housing, Transport, Water and Works, Hon. Robert Pickersgill, has informed that further expansion works would be undertaken at the island's ports to include the construction of three berths and the addition of a second terminal in Montego Bay later this year, at a cost of US$67 million.
Speaking at a press conference held at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel recently, Minister Pickersgill said that the Port Authority has signed off on the new berthing and land-site facilities and construction was slated to begin in the fourth quarter of this year.
Of the berths to be built, he said, "two will accommodate vessels over 1,000 feet in length, while the third berth will handle vessels of a 900 feet category".
Expansion works would also be undertaken in Ocho Rios, St. Ann in the new financial year, the Minister informed, in order to facilitate the accommodation of the Freedom Cruise Vessels, which were the largest liners now used in the shipping industry.
Port Antonio was also slated to benefit from upgrading works, he said, to accommodate the "next generation of cruise liners, which will carry a complement of 8,000 passengers and are scheduled to begin service in 2009".
These works are in addition to the continued expansion of the Kingston Container Terminal (KCT) to maintain the facility's position as a major international hub port. "Progress being made here is underscored by the improved rating of the KCT from 67 to 55 in the world's top 100 ports and that is a great achievement," he highlighted, noting that the port was poised to be listed among the top five hub ports in the world.
He said that phase five expansion works, now in progress, were near completion, and would increase capacity from 1.5 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) to 3.2 million TEUs. The project is being undertaken at a cost of US$240 million.
The project to upgrade the country's port, the Minister noted, was crucial in meeting the overwhelming demand, which would be inevitable when expansion works began on the Panama Canal.
"The implications for Jamaica are enormous and encouraging; once you open the mega liners for the Panama Canal, because of our strategic location they'll come to Jamaica.and we have to start making preparations in the port to accommodate those mega liners," he pointed out.
Meanwhile, he indicated that the cruise shipping industry continued to show significant improvements, evident in the number of visitors to the island last year. In 2006, more than 1.32 million cruise ship passengers came to the island, an increase of 206,000 or 18.5 per cent when compared to 2005.
"This increase and demand for Jamaica's cruise destinations is reflected in the country being voted Leading Caribbean Cruise Destination and the Leading World Cruise Destination at the 2006 World Travel Awards," he boasted.