Committee calls for diagonal motorcycle parking to enhance safety and efficiency

The Transport Advisory Committee is urging local authorities to replace straight motorcycle parking spaces with diagonal options, a move aimed at improving safety and efficiency in the densely populated city.

Currently, motorcycle parking in Macau includes both straight and diagonal spaces, but the majority are straight, which pose challenges for riders.

Parking in a straight space requires riders to maneuver their motorcycles at a 90-degree angle, a process that can be time-consuming and hazardous.

Residents have expressed frustration over the difficulties these spaces create.

“If you are on certain road sections, you first need to park your motorcycle and then use various methods to straighten it because motorcycles cannot turn 90 degrees,” said a local resident in a TDM report. “The best solution is to increase diagonal parking spaces.”

The narrow roads and high population density in Macau mean that motorcycles are a primary mode of transport for many residents. However, the existing parking design has led to safety concerns.

Another resident noted, “I try to find some legal parking spaces, but I often end up squeezing into smaller gaps, which makes me anxious about scratching my bike or blocking others.”

Industry experts also criticize the current arrangement.

Tou Chio Fai, head of the Environmental Electric Motorcycle Association, pointed out that the design is particularly unsuitable for electric motorcycles, which often struggle to fit into straight parking spaces. “Now, motorcycles are no longer suitable for straight parking,” he explained. “Most are already pressed against the parking racks, which makes parking more difficult for everyone.”

To address these issues, the Transport Advisory Committee has suggested gradually converting straight parking areas into diagonal ones.

This change, according to committee member Lei Chong Sam, could utilize vacant land and underused parking lots in the vicinity to compensate for the reduction in spaces due to the conversion. “There are many temporarily vacant areas in Macau,” he said.

“Can we open them up for motorcycle parking or consider charging a reasonable fee for currently unused spaces?”

The committee emphasizes that improving motorcycle parking design should start in areas that prioritize public needs.

This push for change echoes discussions from 2019, when former lawmaker Sulu Sou brought the issue to the Legislative Assembly. He proposed changing Macau’s current “right-angled” parking spaces to diagonal designs, following global trends that favor angled bays for their safety and efficiency.

Initially, the Transport Bureau indicated it would “actively consider” the proposal in 2019 but later retracted this stance, claiming that diagonal parking would reduce the overall number of available spaces. However, studies from various municipalities worldwide support diagonal parking as a safer alternative.

For instance, a California-based parking design consultancy highlighted that diagonal spaces require a smaller turning radius and are less likely to cause blocked access, a common problem with straight parking.

Research from the Department of Urban Planning Affairs in Bahrain also noted that angled bays could significantly improve the use of space, particularly in narrow streets like those found in Macau. Similar studies from Brazil, Argentina, Hawaii, and Spain reaffirmed that angled bays facilitate better traffic flow and parking efficiency.

Many private parking lots had begun adopting this design to optimize space, with examples already seen in facilities across the city.

A previous poll conducted by Sou on Facebook indicated strong public support for diagonal parking, with 92% of over 1,700 participants favoring the change in 2019. Victoria Chan