Minister Charlette visits road projects on Praslin |07 March 2020
The Minister for Habitat, Infrastructure and Land Transport, Pamela Charlette, continued her series of visits to Praslin this week where the main focus was on various ongoing and future road projects on the island being undertaken by the Seychelles Land Transport Agency (SLTA).
Minister Charlette was accompanied by several officers from her ministry who included her advisor Gerard Hoareau, the principal secretary for Land Transport Patrick Andre, the Road Transport Commissioner Wilson Denis and representatives of the SLTA who included its chief executive Parinda Herath and the agency’s manager for Inner Islands Terry Volcère, among other officials.
The visit started at the proposed plot for the relocation of the vehicle testing station on Eve Island. Currently, vehicles on Praslin are tested on Mondays at the SPTC premises in Amitié but will eventually move to a more suitable space. Such move will be welcomed by the Praslin transport owners.
The road leading to Fond Azor situated in the Baie Ste Anne district which hold a new land bank project is undergoing widening and reparation. There around 18 plots have been identified for the land bank project and the recipients who have qualified through the point system have already been contacted. The successful applicants now await final plot allocation after completion of necessary infrastructure. SLTA hopes the road should be ready by end of April this year.
The Baie Ste Anne Hospital, the only hospital on the island which as a result serves a majority of patients on a daily basis, will soon benefit from a bus shelter going in the Grand Anse direction. The proposed new bus shelter will be just on the other side of the road from the hospital and a few metres from the current one. A leeway for the buses to stop and a pedestrian crossing for ease of patients is also part of the project. Another bus shelter is scheduled to be constructed in Marie-Jeanne Estate, while going in the Côte D’Or direction.
Then, the delegation moved to Anse La Blague to view the sites affected by coastal erosion. Here, the officers discussed the best option to secure and maintain the main road. It is to be noted that the inhabitants using this road has been suffering a lot since last year as the road are covered with sand each time there is a high tide as the sea water covers that road.
Another project in design stage is a proposed footpath along the road from Marie-Jeanne Estate to Côte D’Or to connect to the existing one there which was built recently. Such project will benefit locals and tourists as currently pedestrians are walking on the main road while travelling between those two sub districts of Baie Ste Anne.
Next was the Pasquere Road, an ongoing SLTA project which started last year; phase 1 is at an advanced stage and is expected to be completed soon while stage 2 has already been tendered out and stage 3 is currently being tendered. The Pasquere road it to provide an alternative route between the two districts instead of going through the Vallée de Mai or the Consolation road.
In the afternoon, visits continued in the Grand Anse district. Firstly, the delegation viewed a project to resurface the St Joseph road behind the Praslin secondary school, a joint venture with the local government. This project, which is scheduled to be completed by the end of this year, only awaits the definition of alignment for the road.
This was followed by viewing of the remedial work at the Amitie area opposite the SPTC office which was badly affected by high tide last year. Rocks and a newly built wall now serve to protect and retain the main road, a project which was completed last year.
The visit ended at Cherimont where grading and levelling is ongoing on the earth road so that inhabitants can make better use of it. Eventually, the road will be resurfaced. Actually, resurfacing work is ongoing and as is customary each year to choose a specific area for resurfacing works, this year the SLTA will be concentrating on the Consolation road from St Sauveur, where they left off last year, to Pointe Cabris.
Mr Volcère, who is responsible for the SLTA office on Praslin, expressed his satisfaction at the rate of completion of the different projects, while they continue to face several setbacks.
“One of our main setbacks is the fact that several contractors do not complete their tendered projects within the set time limit. Like a domino effect, this often causes further delays to other projects,” Mr Volcère shared.
At the end of the visit, Minister Charlette also shared her appreciation of the ongoing works. “I am satisfied with the work being conducted on Praslin by SLTA. Several projects are being conducted simultaneously, some are already at an advanced stage and others will soon start.”
The accompanying photos show some highlights of the visit.
Text and photos by Romano Laurence
