TRANSPORT Minister Mike Henry says the Government may have to fork out close to $100 million each year to subsidise the operation of the newly built Half-Way-Tree Transport Centre.

“The outgoing Government didn’t tell me I would have to go and find maybe $100 million to subsidise the income.so I have to begin to look at the commercialisation,” the minister said.

Henry said he would be requesting that the Port Authority of Jamaica, which is responsible for managing the facility, try and attract advertisers through the use of electronic display boards, as one method of supplementing revenues at the centre.

However, senior vice-president of operations at the Port Authority, Winston Boothe, said plans to generate revenue by selling advertising space as well as from rentals of the shops were already being worked on. He said pre-qualification had been done and tender documents issued.

Under the previous arrangement, the centre was being built to exclusively accommodate Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) buses.

But the JUTC, the minister said, was losing $100 million per month, “and now the ministry must subsidise this (transport centre), so I will have to look at how to involve the commercial cost,” Henry told the Observer during a tour of the facility yesterday.

In the meantime, the centre, which has been completed a week ahead of schedule, will not be open later this year, as Henry said another $150 million will have to be found to upgrade some roads in its vicinity.

“We still haven’t finalised the contracts for the resurfacing of the roads around it and we can’t open it without that being done,” said the minister. He would, however, like the facility to be opened before Christmas.

The upgrading, he said, would include the widening of Constant Spring Road in the vicinity of Scotia Bank, as well as the resurfacing of South and North Odeon avenues, Eastwood Park Road and a section of Constant Spring Road.

Henry also raised concerns about traffic movement in the area, maintenance of public conveniences at the facility, failure to make provision for the colour coding of signs, especially for commuters who cannot read, and access for the disabled, among other issues.

The minister recommended that a system be implemented to allow commuters to be advised of bus delays.

In addition, he promised to look at the possibility of building a pedestrian bridge to provide access from Mandela Park to the centre.

Andrew Watt, the centre’s project manager, said an initial design was done for such a walkway but that it never materialised. “It was discussed and an initial design was made but that later died,” Watt told the Observer. He promised to present a copy of the plan and initial estimate to Henry.

Watt, in the meantime, said that while the centre would be able to accommodate other public passenger vehicles other than JUTC buses, there would be “some issues” that would have to be sorted out before.