The government has spent 170 million patacas on repairing and improving the equipment and facilities in the Hato-damaged underground bus terminal at the Barrier Gate border checkpoint, the Transport Bureau (DSAT) said yesterday.

The bureau and the Infrastructure Development Office (GDI) jointly organised an on-site media briefing yesterday about the restart of the public bus services at the terminal tomorrow – when 13 out of the 24 bus routes that used the terminal before last year’s Hato disaster will return there.

DSAT Director Kelvin Lam Hin San first told reporters late month that the underground terminal at the busy checkpoint would resume operations on December 15.

The poorly ventilated underground terminal was severely damaged by floodwaters during the onslaught of Super Typhoon Hato on August 23 last year. Since then, the terminal has been out of operation, much to the chagrin of residents and visitors alike.

All the equipment in the terminal, including its electricity supply, air-conditioning system, ventilation system, fire services installations as well as lifts and escalators were severely damaged by the floodwaters. Following the Hato onslaught, the government announced in September last year that it would undertake major works to improve the ventilation in the terminal at the busy checkpoint while carrying out repairs to the equipment and facilities damaged by the Hato-induced floods. The project got off the ground late last year.

Initially, the government expected the terminal to start partially operating in the second quarter of next year and to be fully operational in the fourth quarter of next year.

Since the terminal has been closed, the bureau has rerouted the 24 bus routes to a raft of bus stops around the Barrier Gate checkpoint, including in Toi San district and Iao Hon district. The rerouting of the 24 bus routes to the various nearby bus stops has reportedly caused bus passengers, particularly senior citizens and children, a great deal of inconvenience. The temporary arrangements have also made it difficult for bus drivers to go to the toilet.

The bureau said earlier this month that the terminal’s repair and improvement project was “basically” completed ahead of the initial schedule late last month.

3 enclosed waiting areas
According to a DSAT statement yesterday, the refurbished underground terminal has three enclosed waiting areas equipped with air-conditioning and two open-air (outdoor) waiting areas. New air-conditioning, ventilation, fire prevention and power supply systems as well as queuing facilities have been installed, the statement said.

This photo taken yesterday shows the completely revamped Barrier Gate underground bus terminal. Photo: DSAT

Ho Chan Tou (right), the acting chief of the Transport Management Division of the Transport Bureau (DSAT), yesterday briefs reporters about tomorrow’s relaunch of the public bus services at the Barrier Gate underground terminal. Photo: DSAT

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