Briefs | Gov’t says no air deterioration from Zhuhai explosion

Major air quality deterioration in Macau owing to the explosion that took place yesterday at a Zhuhai petrochemical plant is unlikely, noted the Environmental Protection Bureau (DSPA) and the Meteorological and Geophysics Bureau (SMG) in a joint statement. As of press time, easterly winds were recorded by the SMG in all 12 anemometers across the city. The affected plant in Zhuhai is located about 40 kilometers west of Macau. The SMG forecasts easterly winds today. Accordingly, it said that there was no obvious threat to the air quality in Macau. An explosion hit a petrochemical plant in Zhuhai around noontime Tuesday, causing a large fire and black smoke. The neighborhood was evacuated. Emergency personnel had been deployed reportedly from as far away as Guangzhou, the provincial capital.

New DSSOPT director given months to solve accumulated problems

Yesterday, the Land, Public Works and Transport Bureau’s (DSSOPT) director Chan Pou Ha was sworn into her position. Between 2009 and 2015, Chan was a Deputy Director at the DSSOPT. Since 2015, she has been a chief senior consultant at the bureau. Chan says she will improve the overall work efficiency of the DSSOPT, enhance communication with the public, improve administration transparency, and bring innovative thinking to the bureau. Secretary for Transport and Public Works Raimundo Arrais do Rosário thanked Chan for taking the job under difficult circumstances. Rosário hopes that, together with Chan, the DSSOPT can complete the accumulated projects, such as the urban planning draft, within several months.

More e-payment options wanted for public transportation

Lawmaker Ella Lei has written an interpellation urging the government to introduce new electronic payment systems for the collection of fares in the public transport sector. Lei pointed out that MPay and Macau Pass are only accepted on buses, whereas on the Light Rapid Transit the only valid forms of payment are via the LRT pass or purchase of a ticket. Lei asked about the timetable of the introduction of e-payment on the LRT. She also demanded an answer as to whether the government will grant discounts for all passengers who use various forms of e-payment. The lawmaker believes that e-payment arrangements will make it more convenient for residents to take public transport and pay for parking.