SOUTH African civil engineering firm, Terracotta, says it is setting up a contact centre, where residents can access information on vacancies and sub-contracting opportunities at the proposed Egodini transport hub in Bulawayo.
BY MTHANDAZO NYONI
Terracotta director, Thulani Moyo, told stakeholders last week that the initiative was meant to promote transparency in the project.
“I think they (Bulawayo City Council) have worked hard in terms of assisting us in gaining access to the site and the people of Bulawayo, especially the taxi associations, who were the first to relocate off the site. We are moving the informal traders slowly,” he said.
“Moving forward, we are going to have the main contractor. After the main contractor, we will be having sub-contractors coming through. Starting next week [this week] there will be renovations that will be happening or what we call the contact centre.
“At that centre, once it is renovated, people will be able to get access to information in terms of jobs, sub-contracting supplies and all those types of things.”
Moyo said they will also introduce a retail equity investment scheme that will allow ordinary residents to acquire a maximum of 30% shareholding in the project.
In 2012, the local authority awarded Terracotta the tender to develop a transport hub and shopping mall at Basch Street bus terminus, popularly known as Egodini.
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The project, set to kick-start this month, is on a build, operate and transfer basis and will come at no cost to council, officials say.
Bulawayo will ultimately own it once Terracotta has recouped its investment.
The refurbishment is expected to see the terminus handling at least three million travellers per month, according to the council.
As part of the redesign of the terminus, council will expand existing roads into the site and create dedicated pedestrian routes to increase traffic access.
The site will include a transport hub located on the Basch Street ground level, retail sections and parking bays.
According to Terracotta, 1 000 jobs will be created during the construction phase.
