The government has decided to extend the trial period of operation of the newly opened Macau Light Rapid Transit (LRT) until January after it encountered operation failures on three occasions since its opening to the public on December 10.
The Secretary for Administration and Justice André Cheong Weng Chon told the press yesterday that the government requires the LRT company to conduct in-depth investigations of the failures, analyze the causes of the failures, and propose solutions.
He emphasized that if the failure involves management or equipment errors or defects, the company’s responsibilities need to be clarified in accordance with the provisions of the contract and handled in accordance with the laws and applicable contractual provisions.
Cheong also claimed that it is normal for a new public transport system to encounter difficulties.
He added that the experimental operation of the Taipa line serves to detect problems and find solutions in order to improve the system.
“The LRT is new to Macau,” said Cheong. “We all know that it is a new integrated transportation system. It needs some time to adjust during the experimental period.”
“The SAR government attaches high importance to yesterday’s incident and previous incidents. We prioritize protecting the safety of the passengers. When the LRT records an incident, all departments first ensure safety,” he added.
Thus, the government had decided to extend the experimental period to January 31.
“The LRT will be free for use until January 31. During the period, I hope the public can use the LRT and provide more suggestions,” the secretary said.
As of Sunday, the LRT had recorded three minor issues. The company was said to have submitted a report to the Transport Bureau on the same day.
It was also announced yesterday at the press conference that the LRT company handled Sunday’s incident within 90 minutes and that the LRT operation resumed shortly after.
The LRT was suspended on Sunday at about 1 p.m., reportedly due to a power outage at a site between Cotai West Station and Lotus Checkpoint Station.
The train service between Ocean Station and Lotus Checkpoint Station was temporarily suspended until 2:35 p.m. During this period, the Operation and Control Center directed passengers safely out of the carriage to the adjacent station platform.
Meanwhile, according to a report issued by Chinese media outlet Cheng Pou, the firefighters did not notify the media regarding their deployment to the LRT, nor have they responded to formal media enquiries.
Questioned by the press as to why no notice was given to the media, Leong Iok Sam, director of the Fire Services Bureau said, “Our staff have been busy recently and have not received one or two calls. We will continue to optimize and follow up.”
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