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Imbert: Rapid rail contract by early '08
-Juhel Browne
Friday, December 7th 2007
Works and Transport Minister Colm Imbert said yesterday that the contract for phase one of the $15 billion Trinidad Rapid Rail Project is set to be finalised before January 31, 2008.
Imbert also said that work was continuing apace with the construction of the Interchange at the intersection of the Uriah Butler and Churchill/Roosevelt highways but added that until both projects were completed, the only way to deal with the ongoing traffic problems was to increase the number of police officers patrolling the nation's roads.
"The biggest problem that I see with respect to traffic in the short term is the difficulty with law enforcement," Imbert said.
He made the comment during yesterday's post-Cabinet news conference at Whitehall, Port of Spain, in response to questions from the Express on the growing traffic congestion during peak hours.
"I think if we have a greater police presence and more vigilance on the part of the police then a lot of the traffic issues will go away. That is how I see it in the short term because the problem is a complex problem and it cannot be solved overnight," Imbert said.
He said Government has already advised the preferred bidder for the phase one of the TRRP, the consortium led by the French firm Bouygues Travaux Publics, that it has been selected as the preferred contractor and has been invited to come to Trinidad to finalise the contract.
He also said the only other final bidder, a consortium led by another French firm, Vinci Construction, was also advised that it was unsuccessful in its bid.
"Full disclosure and I've been told that if the contract cannot be finalised with the preferred bidder then discussion will be held with them (Vinci Construction). So that we expect the finalisation of the contract to take place over the next month or so," Imbert said.
The TRRP is scheduled to be in operation by 2013 but is expected to begin servicing routes before then.
He also said that work on the bridge structure Interchange is well on schedule for completion by the end of 2008 and tenders have been invited for the construction of flyovers at El Socorro and Aranguez, the construction of which is planned for June 31 next year.
-Juhel Browne
Friday, December 7th 2007
Works and Transport Minister Colm Imbert said yesterday that the contract for phase one of the $15 billion Trinidad Rapid Rail Project is set to be finalised before January 31, 2008.
Imbert also said that work was continuing apace with the construction of the Interchange at the intersection of the Uriah Butler and Churchill/Roosevelt highways but added that until both projects were completed, the only way to deal with the ongoing traffic problems was to increase the number of police officers patrolling the nation's roads.
"The biggest problem that I see with respect to traffic in the short term is the difficulty with law enforcement," Imbert said.
He made the comment during yesterday's post-Cabinet news conference at Whitehall, Port of Spain, in response to questions from the Express on the growing traffic congestion during peak hours.
"I think if we have a greater police presence and more vigilance on the part of the police then a lot of the traffic issues will go away. That is how I see it in the short term because the problem is a complex problem and it cannot be solved overnight," Imbert said.
He said Government has already advised the preferred bidder for the phase one of the TRRP, the consortium led by the French firm Bouygues Travaux Publics, that it has been selected as the preferred contractor and has been invited to come to Trinidad to finalise the contract.
He also said the only other final bidder, a consortium led by another French firm, Vinci Construction, was also advised that it was unsuccessful in its bid.
"Full disclosure and I've been told that if the contract cannot be finalised with the preferred bidder then discussion will be held with them (Vinci Construction). So that we expect the finalisation of the contract to take place over the next month or so," Imbert said.
The TRRP is scheduled to be in operation by 2013 but is expected to begin servicing routes before then.
He also said that work on the bridge structure Interchange is well on schedule for completion by the end of 2008 and tenders have been invited for the construction of flyovers at El Socorro and Aranguez, the construction of which is planned for June 31 next year.
