- Mayor says some work behind schedule but improvements being done
- Mayor won’t say how much is being made
Devon Evans
Mayor of St Ann’s Bay and chairman of the St Ann Parish Council Desmond Gilmore said it will require a constant cleanup drive, regular maintenance and full cooperation of members of the public to keep the Ocho Rios Transportation Centre in an acceptable state.
He said, so far the Council is doing what it can with the limited resources to maintain the facility but that will require some private sector assistance to expedite the improvement work.
The Mayor was responding to questions from the North Coast Times, following complaints from members of the public and taxi operators that the Centre was dirty, sections of the road were in need of repairs and that the bus sheds the Council promised to erect are not yet in place.
OFF TARGET
Mayor Gilmore admitted that the work on the facility was behind schedule. “We should be ahead of where we are at this time, based on the agreement we have with an advertising company; by now all the sheds should have been in place but unfortunately that is not so.”
He said the Council was looking at how it could get another company involved to assist in erection of the bus sheds.
Questioned whether the Transport Centre was making enough money to maintain the facility, Mayor Gilmore said he was aware of an increase in the intake but that he was unable at this time to give a figure on the monthly earning as this is being handled by the Commercial Service Department.
He pointed out however that the revenue earned from the Centre was part of the funds used in the upgrading work. “We have put in a security post with the necessary furniture, we have improved the bathrooms and the shower stalls so we have done some improvement,” he said. He added that there was more to be done and that the Council would ensure that these are done in due course. The Mayor said the Council was not operating the Centre just for making money, but mostly to provide a service to the public and to maintain order in the town by easing traffic congestion.
He said the Council would continue to maintain the Centre and was currently looking at the work of the maintenance staff to see where improvements could e made including hiring an additional person.
The Mayor said the Centre generates a huge amount of garbage each day and was cleaned on a daily basis but because of bad practices from some people it would give the impression at times that the facility was not being cleaned. He said people needed to develop more civil pride.
Meanwhile the Chairman of the St Ann Parish Council is appealing for the cooperation of taxi drivers in the maintenance and the cleanliness of the Centre and avoiding the congestion on the road.
He said although the Centre is open up to 8pm on weekdays and 9pm on weekends, drivers are leaving the centre at 5pm, thereby creating congestion on the roads throughout the town.
Mayor Gilmore assured that staff and security are employed to remain at the facility up to the closing hours so there is no need for taxies to be out on the road so early.
Referring to St. Ann’s Bay, He said this centre will be difficult to manage unless new traffic changes for the town are enforced and the police become more vigilant in controlling the flow of traffic. These changes are expected to come on-stream November 3, 2014.
