Gov’t plans to construct more outdoor parking lots with 15-minute free parking incentives

The Secretary for Transport and Public Works, Raymond Tam, revealed yesterday plans to redevelop 30 pieces of land for different purposes, specifically highlighting the creation of new parking facilities, adding that at these new outdoor lots, drivers will be able to park free for the first 15 minutes.

Tam stated that “30 plots of land of varying sizes will be rezoned for new uses in the near term.”

He added that, combined with previously announced sites in the Legislative Assembly (AL), this totals 39 plots.

The planned land uses encompass temporary sites for leisure activities, parking lots, sports courts, and ‘Eco Fun’ stations, according to the Secretary. He emphasized that “12 sites will be designated as temporary leisure areas, 14 will serve as outdoor parking lots, four will be developed as sports courts, and four will be established as ‘Eco Fun stations’.”

The remaining five sites are earmarked for temporary storage buildings, road development, and vehicle storage facilities, with implementation expected to proceed in phases, according to Tam, who stated: “While it can’t be done immediately, it’s all part of our overall plan.”

In response to legislator Ngan Iek Hang’s concerns about the feasibility of a 10- or 15-minute free parking incentive model, Tam stated at a legislative session yesterday that multiple new outdoor parking lots will soon implement the first 15 minutes free.

However, he clarified, “It is not an endless 15-minute free period […] We will consider market principles to explore which parking lots can implement a capped pricing system to improve occupancy rates,” i.e., the next phase will study a ‘capped’ pricing system for parking lots, dynamically adjusting rates based on motorcycle and automobile occupancy levels.

Addressing the rising demand for parking, it was noted that “Macau has seen increased numbers of seven-seater vehicles and electric vehicles on the roads, many of which measure five meters or longer, yet existing street parking spaces have not been adjusted accordingly.”

To address this issue, according to Tam, the government plans to gradually extend parking space lengths to 5.5 meters, acknowledging that “flexible allocation is required” since some spaces may not reach the full length.

Tam also highlighted the importance of equitable resource distribution: “We will consider vehicle volume when gradually increasing parking space capacity to ensure fair use of public resources.”

To tackle issues like the long-term occupation of free street-side motorcycle spaces, the government will strengthen regulation through meter service tenders. “Where necessary, the number of metered motorcycle spaces will be gradually increased to promote fairer resource allocation,” he added.

Additionally, the government plans to launch meter tenders soon to establish diverse payment methods, enhancing the overall parking management strategy.

Meanwhile, the Secretary for Transport and Public Works announced that discussions have taken place with the Transport Bureau (DSAT), Land and Urban Construction Bureau (DSSCU), and the Public Works Bureau (DSOP) regarding the reuse of the underground space at Praça Ferreira Amaral.

Authorities agree that the current utilization of this space is inadequate, and the design of its access routes is unnecessarily circuitous. To address these issues, measures will be introduced shortly to promote more effective use of the underground area.