Delayed Ramsey transport hub plans 'under evaluation'

Plans for a combined bus and rail station in Ramsey were first proposed in 2008

Plans for a transport interchange in the north of the Isle of Man will be ready in the "next few months", the infrastructure minister has said.

Ray Harmer said several options for a hub in Ramsey were "under evaluation" and a conclusion would soon be reached.

Plans for an integrated hub to replace the existing bus station on Westbourne Road were first proposed in 2008.

Ramsey MHK Lawrie Hooper said delays to the scheme were having a "knock-on effect" on the area.

Plans to replace the bus station on Westbourne Road, which is cut off when the island's mountain course is closed for events such as the TT races and Manx Grand Prix, were rejected in 2015.

It was hoped a new combined bus and rail hub would be built on the site of the existing Manx Electric Railway station on Albert Street, but the proposals failed due to concerns about its appearance.

Mr Harmer, who told the House of Keys in 2017 that the current bus station was in "poor condition" and needed replacing, said progress on the project had not been "as quick as I would have liked" but the Department of Infrastructure was "narrowing it down to a small number of options".

Ramsey MHK Dr Alex Allinson said the current set-up was not "ideal" and an "urgent upgrading" needed to be a priority.