AL Plenary | Rosário supports driving license recognition with mainland China

Raimundo do Rosário

Secretary for Transport and Public Works Raimundo do Rosário provided his understanding of the recognition of mutual driving license between mainland China and the MSAR. The Secretary voiced his opinion to the lawmakers during yesterday’s Legislative Assembly’s (AL) plenary meeting.

As proposed by lawmaker Ng Kuok Cheong, the AL had a debate on the recognition of mutual driving license yesterday.

“I hope lawmakers will not misunderstand [because] I don’t mean to criticize [the lawmakers]. [On the recognition], it is [about recognizing] our own country’s driving license; our compatriots’ [driving license],” said Raimundo. “I even feel a bit embarrassed for having to debate it and for having to conduct a public consultation about it. This is about responding to our compatriots; it is not a benefit Macau is giving them [mainlanders].”

“We have already recognized driving licenses of 110 countries. The 111th country is our own, yet we require a public consultation and debate? I have no doubt regarding it [the recognition].”

Raimundo’s comment triggered mixed responses from lawmakers. For instance, both Au Kam San and Mak Soi Kun expressed an opposing opinion to Rosário’s comment.

Au, while criticizing the Secretary, said “according to your logic, they [mainlanders] should be able to come to Macau with their ID card, study here and live here. But how come they can’t? It [China] is protecting Macau, Macau is under the state’s care”.

Chui Sai Peng, however, supported Rosário, commenting that the recognition will “altogether demonstrate the state’s sovereignty.”

“Some people will never understand [things], no matter how you explain it to them. They oppose for the sake of opposition,” said Chui.

“Currently, the mentality of many Macau residents compels them to be strict to others but lenient to themselves. […] The Liberation Army already came out [to help] after Typhoon Hato. Besides, the mainland’s police authority will come to Macau to take them [mainland drivers who cause traffic issues in Macau] back [to the mainland],” said Chui, adding “it [the recognition] is not worth discussing, as it is an outdated issue.”

Chief Executive-appointed lawmaker Chan Wa Keong remarked that “if you [the government] propose to hand out cash every day, I think nobody will oppose.”

“Taiwan is a province. Why is Taiwan province allowed to [Taiwan driving license can be used in Macau] while other provinces are not?” Mak Soi Kun questioned.

Several lawmakers voiced their support to the mutual recognition, although they still posed some questions to government representatives who attended yesterday’s AL. These lawmakers included Ma Chi Seng, Iau Teng Pio, Chui Sai Peng and Angela Leong.

These four lawmakers, together with several others, questioned the potential transportation pressure that might fall upon the city’s roads once the recognition is implemented. In terms of safety issues, the lawmakers worry that mainland drivers are unaware of Macau’s driving regulations; non-local employees will possibly be hired to operate vehicles in Macau when they have not been approved by the government to perform such tasks and that there might be more car rental companies.

“We understand that the public is concerned about the demand generated after mainland license holders come to the city. On average, mainlanders stay 1.5 days in Macau. How can they find a car [in that time]? We don’t have car rental companies at the border gates. […] We don’t think it [the recognition] will encourage them to drive cars,” said Lam Hin San, director of the Transport Bureau (DSAT).

Lam also noted that any party who wishes to open a car rental company in Macau must have a fleet comprising a minimum of 25 vehicles and be able to offer a minimum of 25 private parking spaces.

“Tourists, including mainland tourists, know how to use Macau’s public transportation system, […] We reckon they will not have any special requirements [driving in Macau],” said Lam.

During the first three to four months of this year, accidents related to non-local workers decreased by 30 percent year-on- year.

A representative from the Public Security Police Force (PSP) further reported that, in 2016, 230 non-local workers were found working beyond their own employment permit.  The number has been continuously decreasing since 2016.

Previously, as well as yesterday, the DSAT director noted that mainland driving license holders are already allowed to drive in Macau if they simply change their driving license in Hong Kong to a Hong Kong-based driving license.

“About 43,000 Macau residents already have mainland driving licenses,” said Lam, according to whom, approximately 250,000 Macau residents have a Macau driving license, adding that “the recognition is convenient [for residents] if they [the 250,000] need to drive in mainland China.”

In 2017, somewhere around 2,500 mainland residents obtained Macau’s driving license, according to the PSP representative.

In 2016, the PSP conducted 1,131 inspections in regard to illegal drivers. In 2017, the number of inspections went up to 1,243.

According to Lam, in 2017, 30,000 mainland residents obtained their driving license in Hong Kong and approximately 500 traffic infractions were committed there.

In addition, PSP statistics show that in 311 cases in 2017, drivers were found not qualified for operating vehicles in Macau. In the first four months of 2018, 81 similar cases were registered.

Lawmaker Fong Ka Chio voiced that self-driving tourism in Macau will not become an economical problem since mainlanders’ motivation to drive in Macau is low due to Macau’s driving environment.

“The demand for self-driving tourism in Macau is really low. We have 83 bus routes and we have free methods of transportation,” said Lam, who also pointed out that non-local students will need to take a test in case they intend to drive in Macau.

According to Lam, tourists who wish to drive in Macau are not required to register for driving if they will drive for less than 14 days. Any driving activities, which extend further than 14 days, will require tourists to go through administrative procedures.