The Egodini Mall project which has been moving at a snail pace is set to have its phase 1 and 1A completed by April 2022.
In 2016, BCC contracted Terracotta a South African based company to redesign Basch Street terminus into a modern mall, under a Build Operate and Transfer (BOOT) arrangement.
The South African contractor, civil engineering firm Terracotta Trading (Private) Limited (TTPL), won the tender to upgrade the former Basch Street Terminus into a regional public transport hub in 2012 ahead of two other companies.
Representative of Terracotta Director Thulani Moyo explained that the site handover of Egodini was made to them by the City Council in January 2018.
Moyo then went on to justify the slow progress attributing it to impendements of previous lockdowns that disturbed almost everyone. He also said they are working hard to make the underground structures such as water pipes, sewer systems and storm water pipes amongst others are completed to perfection before buildings are erected on the ground.
Phase 1A completion will see the space for a taxi rank, informal traders, the bus terminal building and its platform, fast food retail and anchor retail coming to life.
However, progress has been too slow as it spans back many years and many stakeholders are complaining as a result. Commuter omnibuses and informal traders were displaced and this was to be temporary and not for this long.
This has seen some commuter omnibuses stationing themselves at some illegal spots as they strive to quickly get customers at strategic points of the Central Business District (CBD).
There is chaos caused by Passenger Services Vehicles, formally registered and many illegally, as they willy-nilly and randomly park to drop off or pick ups passenger in City.
The Zimbabwe Republic Police together with their City Council counterparts have failed to contain the situation.
Ever since passenger transport was displaced from Egodini, commuter omnibus drivers have illegally sprung up at the intersection of Fort Street and 10th Avenue, 6the Avenue and Herbert Chitepo street and Leopold Takawira Ave.
These traffic offenders cause traffic jams each and every day.
Phase 1A will see 1076 informal traders benefitting from the stalls which will be built there. Retail shops such as Edgars and Jet according to Moyo are set to get space there as well.
The Egodini Mall project is on a Build Own Operate Transfer (BOOT) program which will stretch for 40 years.
Bulawayo Town Clerk Mr Cephas Dube expressed his concerns in as far as the project is concerned.
“We are happy with the development that has taken place so far, although of course we would have wanted to see this development at a much higher stage than it is now,” he said.
In response Director Moyo promised that set deadlines will be met this time around. There will be 5 phases to be met before final completion.
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Bulawayo public awaits to see the decongestion of commuter omnibus traffic as it goes back to Egodini, that is if the set targets are met by Terracotta and the project is completed as per schedule.