Electric buses free to ride for one month

The Transport Bureau (DSAT) said today it will implement a new bus route, E02, for an experimental trial period.
Two types of electric buses – one each from TCM and New Era – will use the route. Members of the public will enjoy free rides on these buses for 30 days, as announced in a DSAT statement yesterday.
During this period, the buses will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and then from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m., from Monday to Saturday (public holidays excluded). One bus will depart every 30 minutes.
Passengers can be picked up or dropped off at 19 bus stops across Taipa and the Macau Peninsula, including Torre de Macau and Praça de Ferreira do Amaral, with Edifício do Lago serving as the terminal.
The buses are manufactured by the Shenzheng Wuzhoulong Motors Co., Ltd of mainland China and by AVASS Pty Ltd of Australia. According to DSAT, the 30-day operation is expected to help evaluate the buses’ functionality and provide a frame of reference for future imports of electric buses.
In 2013, the DSAT organized a two-phase experiment concerning the use of electric buses, with hopes of promoting the use of electric vehicles in the city.
However, the department still needs more data to properly assess the possibility of introducing electric buses in Macau. At this point in time, it remains unclear how the electric buses will be maintained, backed up or charged at night. Staff reporter