VICTORIA, Seychelles — A new bus depot for the Seychelles Public Transport Corporation is set to be constructed on Praslin soon. Symbolic foundation stones were laid yesterday on Ile Eve, at the site where the infrastructure will be constructed. President Wavel Ramkalawan, the Minister for Transport Antony Derjacques, chairperson of the Seychelles Public Transport Corporation’s board of directors Andy Moncherry and its chief executive Geffy Zialor were the ones who laid the stones. President Ramkalawan and Minister Derjacques also unveiled a commemorative plaque to mark the occasion.
In his opening remarks, Mr Zialor said for the last 15 years, the Seychelles Public Transport Corporation had to park some of its buses at different locations. ‘Even if these locations have somehow eased our operations, it has also brought certain challenges and presented some limitations to SPTC. Discussions for us to have an ideal location here on Praslin started more than a decade ago, and we are happy that we have finally been able to start this phase of development,’ he said. The new facility, located adjacent to the recently opened Vehicle Testing Station, will provide a dedicated and modern base for the corporation’s operations on the island.
According to SPTC, the project has been long in the making, with discussions for an ideal Praslin location going back more than ten years. The new depot is expected to consolidate SPTC’s fleet management, reduce logistical challenges, and improve service delivery for commuters on the island. Officials have indicated that construction will move forward in phases, with completion anticipated within the next year. The development is part of broader government efforts to modernise public transport infrastructure across the country, complementing the new Vehicle Testing Station also opened yesterday on the same site.
