2023 will be a year of continuity in the Transport and Public Works sector

The upcoming year will mainly focus on continuing works that started in the last two years within the transport and public works sector, the Secretary for Transport and Public Works, Raimundo do Rosário said yesterday at the Legislative Assembly (AL).

At the AL for the last sectorial debate over the policy address for 2023 (LAG23), Rosário had little in the way of new developments to present to the public and lawmakers, instead noting that it will be another year focused on the development and potential conclusion of infrastructure work that started in 2021 and 2022.

With a focus on the transport sector, Rosário noted the continuing expansion of the Light Rapid Transit (LRT) network would be a priority, so that this type of public transportation – considered by the Secretary to be the most ecological mode of transport – can finally start serving a higher percentage of the population in their daily commute.

Raimundo explained that the idea is to finally link the LRT through all the Macau border posts, including the airport, land posts, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge Port, and the Pac On Maritime Terminal.

The most relevant event for 2023 in this regard would be the conclusion of the connection of the Taipa Line to the Peninsula through the Sai Van Bridge, with the consequent opening of the Barra transport hub to the public.

Rosário noted that the East Line project will commence next year concurrently with ongoing works on the Taipa line extension to Seac Pai Van and Hengqin border post. The East Line project will link Pac On to the Border Gate through the Zona A of the new landfills.

Other large-scale infrastructure projects mentioned included continuing works on the fourth Macau-Taipa bridge and the airport expansion project.

Rosário said all these projects are in line with the guidelines and direction of the Macau and central government and will effectively facilitate and integrate Macau with its neighboring regions.

Usually a significant topic of discussion at this time of the year, the Public Housing projects did not receive more than a few brief references this time. The Secretary mentioned that there were plans to open a new tender for applications to public housing units next year. The aged care residence project is also expected to be completed during the upcoming year; news that was praised by several lawmakers representing workers.

Road Traffic Law expected to be revised

Another of the announcements made by the Secretary relates to the continuing government bid to replace more polluting vehicles with cleaner alternatives. In this chapter and without providing much detail, Rosário said that his Secretariat aims to promote a review of the Macau Road Traffic Law (last reviewed in 2007) in 2023, aiming to update its content and create a better environment to retire obsolete vehicles and, in some case, replace them with others that are more eco-friendly.

New developments are also expected regarding the new 10-year plan (2021-2030) for transport in Macau. These updates are expected to more clearly define the way forward to modernize the local transport, pedestrian ways, and road networks.

He hinted that the idea is to continue striving to reduce the number of old vehicles while promoting the use of newer, more energy-efficient vehicles while keeping the annual growth rate of motor vehicles below the 3% ceiling.

Raimundo noted that some 1,100 requests have been received to replace end-of-life vehicles with electric-powered vehicles (EVs) as part of the ongoing scooter project. However, final results will only be known after March next year when the program ends.

EVs continue on lawmaker’s agenda

Several lawmakers addressed questions to the government on the number of charging stations as part of ongoing efforts to promote electric-powered vehicles (EVs).

Among others, Angela Leong and Zheng Anting called on the government to disclose future projects in this area and requested updates on the status of the construction of charging stations.

Rosário said that while the government still aims to significantly expand the number of charging posts for EVs this year, the existing posts are sufficient to fulfill the current demand.

“By the end of this year, we want to reach 2,000 charging posts. We have 400 already in operation and 1,000 about to start operation. We know that only around 400 users are using these charging posts daily, so we can say that what we have now and will have until the end of this year is more than enough to meet the demand,” he remarked.

Responding to a side question from another lawmaker regarding the contactless payment systems at public car park facilities, the director of the Transport Bureau (DSAT), Kelvin Lam, added that the DSAT will update and upgrade the services and use cases of the Macau Smart Go app to integrate all systems and manage smart payments.

Lawmaker Leong also asked the government if Macau has specific goals to reduce vehicle emissions and replace combustion engine vehicles by 2035, in line with other countries and regions.

Rosário said that Macau is not currently adopting those goals specifically, but that it is progressively developing its own system.

Driving license mutual recognition scheme

After recent news that consensus had been reached to authorize Macau single-plate vehicles to be driven in the mainland, the topic of the mutual recognition of driving licenses between the mainland and Macau has returned to the agenda. Mixed opinions were expressed among the lawmakers. While some are in favor of expediting this process as much as possible, others, including Ella Lei, Leong Sun Iok, and Zheng Anting, fear that this recognition might pose negative effects on both traffic circulation and a potential increase in the number of illegal jobs by mainland drivers. They called on the government to enforce strict supervision to guarantee road safety and protect the jobs of local drivers.