Let the train take the strain |09 May 2012

The statement is correct but it has been put in a different perspective by some publications. The monorail project is well ahead in its planning stages and we are moving towards implementation. The offer by India to assist is because India manufactures monorail components and is in a good position to assist us should we need to source from India under the S50-million line of credit that India has graciously set at our disposal. This is a very kind gesture.

There is no question of a feasibility study being funded by India because the feasibility for a monorail to alleviate the dire traffic congestion along the main corridors of Mahe was carried out in 1997 by GIBB Consulting and others and supplemented by the Academy of High Performance in
2010.

We do not need another study to tell us we have a serious problem; we need action to
address the problem. We are now in the process of engineering the structure, completing the environment impact study (EIA), sourcing the components, finalising the route to coincide with the building of the bypass and the 2020 projects under the guidance of Mr Barry Faure.

The statements we have made so far remains the same which are that in July 2009 Anse Royale Express Limited, a Seychellois company, won the bid to build and run a monorail system on Mahe. Several presentations have been made to various organisations including to Cabinet and there has been no change to our plans. It is still our objective that the first leg of the monorail will be from Anse Etoile to Victoria and this will be completed by July 2015 and from Victoria to the Airport by May 2016 then on to Anse Royale by November 2017.

The cost thus far has not changed either -- it will cost US $40m to build the monorail from Anse Etoile to Airport then a further US $18m will be required to take the monorail to Anse Royale to meet the challenge of conquering the hills at Fairyland, which is not impossible because they do it in Switzerland where the train climbs up the mountain. The funding strategy is well developed and the project still remains a “For Seychellois By Seychellois project”.

We will of course accept any assistance offered as long as it does not change the fact that we Seychellois are waking up to the idea that we have to help ourselves and we have the brains and experience in Seychelles for us to build this monorail using our minds and the components sourced from overseas.

I hope this puts the statement made by the President of India into perspective and we can get on with building the monorail.

Barry Laine FCIM, FInst SMM, MCMI, MBSCH
Chief Executive
Anse Royale Express Ltd