Funding for temporary bus station to be sought

The Sea Terminal could be altered to accommodate buses on temporary basis

Funding will be sought to explore improving bus station facilities in the Manx capital, the infrastructure minister has said.

Tim Crookall said it would be a short-term solution ahead of the private redevelopment of the former site on Lord Street.

Under 2018 plans yet to be progressed, an agreement was reached for bus shelters, public toilets and an information centre to be included as part of a larger cinema, hotel and restaurant complex on the site.

Mr Crookall said his department would now ask for funding to enable it to make changes at the Sea Terminal or improve the existing bus interchange facilities on Lord Street.

In July 2023, a commitment was made to re-establish bus facilities in the island’s capital as a priority.

In a recent answer to a written Tynwald question, Mr Crookall said it was "clear" that the Sea Terminal site in Douglas "was not suitable in its current format” for bus manoeuvrability.

The current layout site would require alterations, which were currently "unbudgeted".

The current station is based at Lord Street in Douglas

Testing of single and double-decker buses at the Sea Terminal had highlighted concerns over the vehicles being unable to manoeuvre "safely on a routine basis around the curved road, without damaging the building canopy", Mr Cookall said.

"Department will now look to progress a request for funding to explore the provision of temporary facilities in the short term at the Sea Terminal by undertaking alterations to the front of the building or to improve the existing facilities at Lord Street ahead of the redevelopment of that site," he said.

However the department remained "focused on ensuring that the Lord Street developer honours the commitment to build facilities for bus passengers in line with the conditions of the sale of the site”, he added.