New licensing office earmarked for Arima

DRIVERS in East Trinidad who need to renew their licences, or new drivers, will soon have them issued at a refurbished Arima Licensing Office while a modern one is being constructed.

Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan toured a proposed site for the new Arima office yesterday. His technical team advised the old office was structurally unsound. That building, at Robinson Circular, where BK Hardware once operated, is being demolished by ministry staff with support from the Regiment and the Prisons Service. The demolition, which Sinanan said cost $27 million, was first tendered, but after receiving bids of upward $2 million, it was decided to do it internally.

“The licence office in Arima is not up to standard. We have to do something. The plan...to relocate to here is not an option, because the cost to bring it here will be significant. We are looking at modernising the licence office, but we can’t modernise the system if the workers are working in substandard conditions,” Sinanan said.

Sinanan told the media the building was acquired outside of advice from technical staff at the ministry, before his appointment. The value of the building when it was valued after he became minister was $10 million less.

He added that Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi was given the file a year ago and will advise the Cabinet on the best move.

Sinanan said since the building could not be used as the new licensing office as intended because it was structurally unsound, it was being demolished and he plans to speak with the Route 2 Maxi Taxi Association about transforming the spot into a maxi hub.

Sinanan then visited the current Arima office at O’Meara Road, which he plans to refurbish, as well as the Port of Spain office. He intends to construct a new building at the current site of the Highways Division Stockpile, also on O’Meara Road.

He added that demolition began a week ago. The old building will be demolished, and salvageable material will be retained. He added that the destitute in Arima had begun sleeping in the building.