New bus stand inaugurated in Cascavelle Village to improve safety of road users

Mauritius: The Minister of Land Transport and Light Rail, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade, Mr Alan Ganoo, inaugurated, yesterday afternoon, the Cascavelle Village Bus Stand, in the presence of the Parliamentary Private Secretary, Mr Nand Prakash Ramchurrun; the Member of Parliament, Mrs Marie Sandra Monia Mayotte; and other personalities.

According to the Minister, the new bus stand would provide a safe space for alighting and boarding bus passengers, in particular school children, and facilitate traffic flow in the vicinity.

He added that this new facility was part of a series of endeavours undertaken in Cascavelle Village, including bus shelters and widening and asphalt paving of roads for the benefit of the inhabitants. Construction works for the bus stand, which kicked off on 15 September 2022, were completed on 28 October 2022.

The role of the Ministry in improving road safety, reducing traffic congestion and regulating the transport of passengers was also highlighted by Mr Ganoo.

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Among the projects mentioned by the Minister were the traffic centres at Wolmar, Baie du Cap and Poudre d’Or; the completion of slope stability treatment along and reopening of B104 road at Chamarel; and the upcoming Pierrefonds to Cascavelle Road Segment in the Flic en Flac bypass project. He put forward the importance of adequate infrastructure provision and quality transport service delivery across the country to enhance the welfare of the population.

Moreover, following several complaints from inhabitants of the Black River District, Minister Ganoo issued a severe warning to private bus operators, asking them to either review and upgrade their transport services, or face action, which might entail a decrease in their allocation or the serving of the relevant routes solely by the National Transport Corporation (NTC).

Furthermore, the Minister of Land Transport and Light Rail stressed that in line with the renewal of the bus fleet of the Corporation to offer commuters comfortable and modern transport services, the NTC had already procured and deployed some 20 new buses.

Mr Ganoo recalled that in a bid to further improve its services, the NTC would procure some 200 electric buses for which funds had been earmarked in the 2021-2022 Budget.

He also expressed strong concerns over the number of road accidents and the consequent deaths of many young people. He deplored the carelessness of road users, indulging in speeding as well as driving under the influence of alcohol and reckless driving, and appealed for more responsible behaviour of road users. In addition, Mr Ganoo announced a series of road safety campaigns and activities targeting young people.