Republic of Mauritius- Victoria Terminal project, a major component of urban regeneration

These details were given, today, in the National Assembly, by the Minister of Public Infrastructure and Land Transport, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade, Mr Nandcoomar Bodha, in a reply to a Private Notice Question with regard to the Victoria Urban Terminal Project.

The Victoria Urban Terminal, he indicated, is a completely different product from the Metro Project Express and will be constructed by the consortium, Victoria Station Limited. He highlighted that the Terminal will comprise several facilities, namely: a modern and visually aesthetic bus terminal with enough bus bays to ensure a modern and efficient transportation network; office space; a Hawker area to accommodate hawkers in a secured controlled space which will benefit from the flow of passengers; parking facilities; a pedestrian link (“esplanade”) to link the terminal with the Metro Express Terminal; green space; taxi stand; and commercial spaces and other amenities.

Additionally, he said, a shuttle service between the Victoria Urban Terminal and Victoria Metro Station and three new temporary bus alighting/boarding platforms will be provided with  two new feeder routes will be provided through the main regions of Port Louis.

Minister Bodha indicated that the lease of land, is of an extent of 5A 32, at a rental payable, of MUR 1 Million per Arpent for the lease period. To that effect, Government, he underlined, has agreed that the rental payable for all urban terminal projects would be reduced by 91.7% for the lease period, subject to adjustment every three years thereafter of the lease period by reference to the Cumulative Inflation Rate based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) of every last three-year period. After the 60-year period the lease could be considered for renewal by the Government on such terms and conditions as it might decide, he added.

He further said that a letter of Notification of Award has accordingly been issued to the Victoria Station Ltd and that the detailed design has already been submitted to the Ministry. The lease agreement, he mentioned, has already been finalised in collaboration with the Ministry of Housing and Lands and will be signed within a fortnight adding that works are scheduled to start by end of this month. 

As regards the interim arrangements for the passengers of the Metro Express, Mr Bodha said that provision has been made by the Singapore Corporation Enterprise (SCE) for feeder services within a radius of 5 km up to 10 km. A total of 19 feeder routes have been identified, including 2 routes, to connect commuters from Quatre Bornes to the Interchange at Rose Hill, which will link passengers in the immediate conurbations of the Metro Stations, he added. Passengers commuting to the light rail via feeder buses will be offered a free service with the underlying condition that passenger boards or alights the light rail within a defined time lag. A control mechanism, the Electronic Ticketing System, will be implemented for the Metro Express and will be extended to the feeder buses, he indicated.