Transport officers are currently looking at the possibility of providing a bus stop at the front of the Sea Terminal.

That’s according to Infrastructure Minister, Tim Crookall, who outlined plans for bus facilities in the capital in a letter sent to Tynwald members.

Testing for bus manoeuvrability on the site is being arranged, which would enable some buses to pick up and/ or drop off passengers.

But the letter also said that a review into the possibility of using the Sea Terminal for a bus interchange in the short-term has taken place, and found that it is not feasible. This, Mr Crookall says, is because the existing car park entry and exit points for buses and coaches and limited space to manoeuvre and park buses have ‘excluded this option from being viable’.

He also told colleagues that the Department of Infrastructure intends to secure the long term provision of new bus station facilities within the development of the Lord Street site.

The site, which was bought off the DoI, has planning approval for a mixed use scheme, which includes the provision of bus facilities comprising five bus stands, a travel information centre, public toilets and an indoor passenger waiting centre. But construction for these plans are yet to commence. The DoI remains involved. Mr Crookall said: ‘The department remains of the position that the Lord Street site needs to include the facilities for bus passengers and drivers as detailed in the application approved for the site. The Department will seek to ensure that any revised planning application submitted for this site includes such facilities as envisaged and included in the current planning application.

‘It is accepted that the provision of these new facilities is some time away and the current provision at Lord Street is lacking with regards to meeting customer requirements.’