Government to initiate preparation for LRT

Transportation Infrastructure Office director Ho Cheong Kei has stated, during a TDM radio show, that the government will initiate preparatory work for the operation of the city’s Light Rapid Transit (LRT) this year.

Ho explained that this preparation will include establishing consultation works regarding legal matters connected to the LRT and assembling the companies involved in the LRT.

Overall, the government’s focus for this year is to install train system facilities and to construct an LRT depot.

“I believe we can accomplish our goal of beginning operation of the LRT Taipa section in 2019,” said Ho. According to him, four companies have been engaged in construction work without issues since last September, when the depot project restarted.

Ho revealed that if the construction contractors can finish projects on time or ahead of schedule, the government will grant them 8 percent of their contract budgets as a bonus. 

In addition, Ho noted that the inauguration of the LRT in 2019 only concerns the Taipa section. The authority will initiate plans for the section connecting to Barra this year.

The 9.3 kilometers of trestle and 11 stations in Taipa are all connected, Ho said, adding that the main construction of the LRT Taipa section is basically complete.

With the Taipa Line of the Macau Light Rapid Transit (LRT) project planned for a 2019 launch, Macau transport authorities have admitted that they have no estimates for ticket fares, nor do they have projections for the number of passengers expected to use the service on a daily basis.