Gov’t plans to open Praia Grande’s A9 plot parking lot for public use

The government plans to complete the construction of a parking lot located at the underground level of the A9 plot in Praia Grande and open it for public use, announced the Secretary for Transport and Public Works, Raymond Tam, at the Legislative Assembly (AL).
Tam was responding to an inquiry from lawmaker Nick Lei about the efficient use of parking resources in public parking lots and potential fare adjustments.

Addressing the need for more parking spaces in the city center, Tam revealed that there are plans to utilize the A9 plot of Praia Grande (located between AIA Tower and the residential property La Bahia No. 1) to expand parking availability in the area.

According to the Secretary, now that the land plot has been returned to the government, authorities are examining the possibility of completing the underground parking lot that the previous land concessionaire had started, creating a new public parking area to supplement the often-full parking lots in the city center.

In addition, Tam addressed lawmakers’ long-standing call for the implementation of parking fares based on fractions smaller than one hour.
At the AL, Tam announced that the government is testing a trial project with half-hourly rates at the Governador Albano de Oliveira outdoor parking lot in Taipa.
The goal is to assess whether this change will yield better results and encourage drivers to use the facility for short-term parking.

The government recently announced changes to the same facility, reducing the number of parking spots allocated to heavy-duty vehicles and replacing them with motorcycle parking spots.

This move addresses a long-standing request from residents in the area, as reported by the Times in December 2023.
In a previous Times interview, several residents pointed out design flaws in the parking lot.
“It’s poorly executed. There is a lot of unused space and no parking for motorcycles, which is actually what we need more of in this area,” said a resident named Yip, who suggested reducing the heavy-duty vehicle parking spaces to accommodate two-wheel vehicles.

Among the other suggestions from residents, some proposed a lower fare for short-term parking use. It appears that the government has taken these suggestions into account and will soon test 30-minute fare rates instead of the current one-hour rates.