EXPANDING CITY'S BUSIEST TERMINAL

Guayaquil Bus Terminal is to be transformed by a multimillion-dollar remodeling project

Guayaquil is fast becoming the city with the best quality of life in Ecuador, and public transport facilities are moving with the times. At the forefront of the city’s urban remodeling plan is a US$33 million project to upgrade the bus station, managed by the Foundation for the Guayaquil Bus Terminal, an independent body created specifically for that purpose.

Chief Executive Guillermo Lasso Mendoza says that the importance of the terminal for “the most up-and-coming city” is reflected in its high number of users—approximately 100,000 per day.

“Currently, and without having raised the prices, revenues are close to an average of US$4 million annually,” explains Mr. Lasso. “The project will be financed with the money that station users pay, so it won’t be a burden either for Ecuador or the city government.”

The first phase of reconstruction is to finalize major reconstruction works on the passenger terminal within the next 15 months. Later stages of the project will see architectural improvements from international and local experts, in addition to the building of new facilities, including a hotel, a medical center, a supermarket, a movie theater, a loading area and parking lot.

Mr. Lasso sees the terminal project as exemplifying the optimal municipal environment being created in Guayaquil, which he describes as “oriented to back all those private initiatives that strengthen investment.”