site in Paget was ratified by a vote of eight to three in the Senate yesterday.

As in the House of Assembly, approval of the purchase was split along party lines, with Senators from the United Bermuda Party and Independents supporting it and those from the Opposition Progressive Labour Party casting their objection.

Two weeks ago, Works and Engineering Minister Leonard Gibbons announced to PLP cries of racism and overspending that the Government was purchasing the quarter-acre site for a proposed new post office between the Modern Mart and Trimingham's at South and St. Michael's Roads.

In introducing the proposal yesterday, Government Sen. Gary Pitman said the plot of vacant land was a bargain at $325,000, having been valued by an independent assessor for the vendor at around $400,000.

Sen. Pitman added that the proposed South Road post office would be safer and more convenient than the current facility on Middle Road.

He said that the new facility would have many more parking bays than the present one, with 14 spaces for cars, eight for motorbikes and countless more at the Modern Mart, which has agreed to the use of its parking lot for quick trips into the post office.

PLP Sen. Terry Lister , however, did not seem convinced by Sen. Pitman's contentions, especially in the area of safety.

"The idea of a new post office is very appealing,'' he said, "but one has to be concerned about issues such as traffic flow, safety and the like.

"The current site is a difficult one, but there is a site right next to it that could have been cleared and used. When I look at the proposed site, the spot has a record of bad accidents.'' In addition to safety, Sen. Lister had concerns about the ultimate price tag of the overall facility, which has been cited as costing as much as $1 million.

"The (Works) Minister, who said it hasn't gone out to bid yet, has also said that it's going to cost $1 million. It's difficult to understand how they reached a figure of $1 million when no architects or builders have bid on it.'' Moreover, the Senator said, why was Government planning to build a new post office in "probably the least populated parish'' on the Island? "I just hope,'' he said, "that all of those (parking) bays will be used.''