The Public Transportation Board is considering erecting another American-style bus shelter on Middle Road in Warwick despite public outcry that the plastic shelters detract from the Island?s traditional architecture.

Public Transportation director Dan Simmons said there is no Island-wide plan to replace all traditional shelters with new ones. But he said that his department is looking at taking down the existing shelter at Middle Road and Longford Hill and replacing it with the new prefabricated structure.

?We have no plans to change things wholesale,? said Mr. Simmons. Transport Minister Ewart Brown said the existing shelters were smelly and being used for drug dealing.

?We?re trying to make the bus shelters safe and the see-through aspect helps with that. We?re trying to make them illuminated, safe and practical,? he said.

Mr. Simmons said the shelters, which resemble those seen in North American and European cities are costing Government approximately $4,000 each to land on the Island.

Currently there are six shelters at the temporary City Hall bus terminal, one in St. David?s and one at Crawl Hill. Two limestone shelters were pulled down to erect the new ones.

A plastic canopy shelter will also be erected above the bus stop on Church Street to protect commuters from the elements.

In an attempt to infuse a traditional touch, PTB is considering having the shelters painted in a pastel pink and blue colour. And in response to concerns about the heat, Mr. Simmons said a plastic insert will be arriving to deflect the heat and assist with temperature control.

Mr. Simmons said the shelters are necessary and will help to save money in the long run. He said the cost of maintaining and repairing a shelter and applying a sealant to protect the limestone from urine and graffiti is about $7,000 per shelter a year.

Mr. Simmons admitted that there have been complaints about the style of the new shelters and their practicality, but added that there are people who support the new ones.

He said that Crawl Hill residents wrote to Dr. Brown about drug dealing, trash, and loitering in the area of the shelter that was torn down there.

?The shelters provide security, safety and are low maintenance and create the set of specifications we were looking for. The rationale is about security and cleanliness so people who have to stand in a bus shelter and wait for the bus won?t abandon it because of the stench as they stand in the shelter,? said Mr. Simmons.

In 1995 three bus shelters were built at a cost of $50,000 each. Works and Engineering consultant Peter Havlicek said it costs Government $30,000 to build a new shelter, a figure which can fluctuate if construction work is required in the area. Mr. Havlicek said it cost Government a couple of thousand dollars to pull down two of the shelters and put up the new structures.