Bus services expanded for summer demand

[Photo: Renato Marques]

Macau’s two public bus operators have added weekend and seasonal services to cope with increased summer passenger demand in the city center and Cotai, while a lawmaker has called for stronger measures to improve bus safety and driver wellbeing.

The Transport Bureau (DSAT) has confirmed that, in response to the anticipated surge in weekend ridership in the peninsula’s central district and Cotai, the city’s two public bus operators have introduced additional services, including routes 21AT and 26AT earlier this month and again in late August, route 15T on weekends and public holidays through November, and a seasonal extension of route N3 to Hac Sa Beach until August.

The bureau added that it would continuously monitor traffic conditions and passenger demand, deploying extra buses and adjusting frequencies and routes as needed, while proactively disseminating traffic diversion information and adapting bus stop arrangements to reflect changing conditions around construction sites.

Lawmaker flags driver wellbeing

Meanwhile, as the government continues to uphold its “public transport priority” policy, legislator Lam Lon Wai has called on officials to explain during their Legislative Assembly appearance on Friday how they plan to strengthen bus operation risk early warning and safety management, citing concerns over both driving safety and driver wellbeing.

He pointed out that the number of traffic accidents involving operational buses had risen from 943 in 2022 to 1,327 last year, with data also showing an upward trend in both “accidents attributable to bus companies” and “accidents per 100,000 kilometers.”

Citing the pressures of rising traffic, growing visitor numbers, and increasingly complex road conditions in Macau’s limited urban space, Lam has pressed the government on how it intends to enhance bus safety through smart dispatching, onboard surveillance, big data, and artificial intelligence, alongside existing training and assessment frameworks.

He also called for the installation of smart warning systems and blind-spot detection at accident-prone and pedestrian-heavy locations, and urged authorities to push bus operators to strengthen driver support mechanisms, including mental health assessments, emotional counselling, occupational health checks, fatigue risk management, and stress relief programs.