The Sea Teminal has been ruled out as an alternative location for the capital’s main bus stops.

Infrastructure Minister Tim Crookall will make a statement to the July Tynwald on a new report about where bus facilities should be provided in lower Douglas until the long-overdue Lord Street development is completed.

It follows a Tynwald motion dating back two years from Douglas East MHK Joney Faragher who called for the re-establishment of facilities for bus passengers in the island’s capital city as a priority.

A multi-million-pound redevelopment of the former Lord Street bus station site was given the green light in March.

The development incudes a multiscreen cinema, flats, retail, leisure and restaurant units and office space - and new facilities for bus passengers.

But a report to Tynwald notes that the development is ‘significantly overdue,’ it is not clear when the construction will begin, and there is an expectation that it will take several years to complete.

And it says that during construction, bus operations will be disrupted or stopped and there is an operational need to find alternative bus stop locations.

Five options were considered by the Department of Infrastructure.

One, at an estimated cost of £936,000, would involve redeveloping the Sea Terminal’s front car park to build two bus stops and using the main terminal building for a waiting area.

A second option. priced at £2.3m, would involve building four bus stops in redeveloped rear car park at the Sea Terminal and again using the main building as a waiting area.

But the report concludes that both Sea Terminal options are ‘operationally constrained, less safe, and disproportionately expensive’.

A £2.4m scheme to provide a waiting room and public facilities at the Bottleneck is also ruled out as the capital cost is ‘not proportionate to the need given the Lord Street development’.

The report says value-for-money is achieved by progressing a combined package of the remaining two options, comprising additional stands and shelters on Victoria Street and shelter improvements at the Bottleneck.

It says this will provide a ‘practical, affordable, and deliverable set of improvements’ that directly address the need for better passenger facilities while the Bottleneck improvements will cater for horse tram passengers if the line is extended to the Sea Terminal.

Total development cost estimate including contingencies is estimated at £735,000.

Although the Sea Terminal has been ruled out as an option, live bus information can be installed there.

The report acknowledges that the preferred option does not fully meet the requirements of the Tynwald motion. Neither option provides directly for refreshments and Victoria Street does not include toilet facilities.

It cites the principal delivery risks as those relating to statutory approvals, budget approval, market conditions, and the interface with the horse tram extension.

The report says the Lord Street development will meet longer-term need but until it is complete, there is a political desire to establish bus passenger facilities in lower Douglas.

Funding of £150,000 was approved in 2024 to develop the range of short to medium term options.