The Ministry of Transport and Works last week signed a contract for a advertising programme at the Half-Way-Tree (HWT) Transport Centre with I-Print Digital, an outdoor advertising company that will be responsible for all advertising and branding at the centre.

The 5-year-contract was officially signed by Minister of Transport and Works Mike Henry and Steven Steele, chairman and co-founder of I-Print Digital — which won the bid on November 22 — during the signing ceremony at the HWT Transport Centre in Kingston.

Minister Henry who was happy with the programme said it was done as a part of Government’s move to make the centre self-sustainable.

“Since the centre has been in operation its core functions have been to accommodate the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) buses and the commuters of the Kingston Metropolitan Region which have been the main source of income but that is not enough to offset the operational cost of the centre”, he said.

Henry said there were plans to create a space for commercial use on the top floor of the centre but that has been restricted in many ways and moreover he said the design of the centre had not included a research to show that the volume of people who pass through the centre were of a lower socio-economic level with a corresponding volume of school children who have limited amount of funds.

“Very fortunately the revenue sharing arrangement behind this agreement will allow the implementation of the initiative without any significant public expenditure which is very important in handling the financial constraints,” the Henry added while lauding the company for partnering with Government.

“I expect to see great innovations that are exciting, creative, attractive and pleasing to the eyes that will complement the area,” he said.

In the meantime he said his ministry will continue to work to improve the bus system and that 100 new yellow Volvo buses should arrive in the island soon to boost the current fleet of buses.

Steele for his part expressed his gratitude to the ministry and the Port Authority Management Services for granting him the contract and promised that his company would adhere to all the tenets of the contract.

“This agreement is significant as it reflects the strength of public and private sector cooperation, a partnership which involves the merging of a prime latent asset with infinite possibility in the cash ingenuity and expertise of the private sector creating an end result beneficial for all parties,” he said.

He also pointed out that the agreement presents Government with the opportunity to take advantage of private sector expertise while it is in the process of elevating itself and to concentrates on core activities as well as to use the capitalist free market system in the provision of services and in the processes improve efficiency and fertility.