Held back by bureaucracy, LRT Taipa Line is ready to open by December

The Macau Light Rapid Transit (LRT) is almost ready to begin operation.

Months of testing have passed and, although they will continue for a few more months in order to ensure the service’s quality and safety, the only hurdle that seems to be stalling the progress of the project is the creation of the LRT Company that will take over the project from the government’s Transportation Infrastructure Office (GIT).

That acknowledgment was made yesterday by the Coordinator of the GIT, Ho Cheong Kei, during a media tour organized by the Office to the LRT operations site.

Yesterday’s media tour included a visit to the Operations Coordination Center (CCO) located at the LRT Depot, as well as ride through the full length of the Taipa line.

Asked when the long-awaited LRT will finally open to public, Ho said, “the facilities and trains are basically ready and we are performing tests for some time now but, in order to open the LRT to public use we need to set up the LRT managing company.”

Ho said that the bureaucratic process involved in the establishment of the company might take a few more months. The government is aiming to open the service to the public before the celebration of the Handover of Macau on December 20.

The creation of the “Macao Light Rapid Transit Corporation Ltd.” was ordered by the Chief Executive (CE) on February 22 this year, following a series of nominations of public officials to represent the several governmental entities involved in the project up until April 4.

Another of the necessary steps was concluded three weeks ago when the LRT Transportation System Law was approved on its final reading at the Legislative Assembly.

Double-capacity trains only ‘if needed’

The GIT Coordinator explained that the LRT is composed of two kinds of trains. There are regular ones, composed of two cars and with a maximum capacity of 200 passengers (100 per car) and the “double-capacity” trains, composed of four cars carrying a total of 400 passengers.

Ho said that by default the LRT Company will run the regular two- car trains, but according to “the needs, double-capacity trains can be deployed.” The official recalled that for the time being the LRT will have at its disposal a total of 110 train cars.

According to information provided by the same official, a one-way journey connecting the ends of the line – from the Taipa Ferry Terminal Station to Ocean Station – will take about 25 minutes.

The trains circulate the line at different speeds according to the conditions of each place, with its maximum speed reaching 80 kilometers per hour in between stations, while their approach the station platform will be managed at an average speed of 30 kilometers per hour.

The fastest section along the line is the part connecting the Macau Stadium to the terminal station of Ocean, passing through the Jockey Club station.

As for the rest of the line, “the area is small and so there is no space to have long straight sections where the top speed could be achieved,” said Ho, reaffirming that the purpose of the LRT is the cut travel time and increase comfort and accessibilities to both visitors and residents.

‘Standard rules’adopted for typhoons

The LRT will follow the same, standardized rules in effect for other public transport systems (such as the buses) in the event of the occurrence of a powerful typhoon, said a project manager from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Martin Leung. The Japanese firm is the system’s manufacturer.

“We will keep operating during typhoon signal 3 [or lower], but we will suspend the operation of the LRT when typhoon signal 8 [or higher] is hoisted,” said Leung.

The company representative said that this was to prevent the possibility of “objects falling on the LRT line,” more than safety concerns regarding the strong wind and heavy rain weather conditions, which he said the trains and system can resist.

Macau Pass to be addressed later

As for the introduction of the “Macau Pass system” as a means of paying for transport on the LRT, the GIT Coordinator said that, as previously mentioned by the Secretary for Transports and Public Works, Raimundo do Rosário, there are contracts signed between the government and the Mitsubishi company that did not include such an option when they were drawn up in 2011.

Ho noted that it is the intent of the GIT to address the “bigger problems first,” noting that the inclusion of the Macau Pass payment system is not considered one of these major problems. Ho also stressed that “the future LRT Company would be able to address those other problems,” such as the inclusion of Macau Pass.

Important issues yet unsolved

Questioned on the estimated number of passengers, the frequency of the trains, the working hours of the LRT, as well as the ticket fares and when it will open to the public, the GIT official said he was not in a position to provide any answers.

These aspects would fall on the “to-do list” of the future LRT Company.

“It is very hard to predict [the number of passengers] at this time,” admitted Ho. “We will see how the operations will start and the receptiveness from the public. We can adjust according to the needs.”

Although the opening date appears to be a well-kept secret, Ho admitted that it probably “needs to be before December 20.”

“But all I can say [for sure] is that it will start before the end of this year.”

LRT ticket might cost 6 patacas per trip

Although the government has not been able to provide any clear indication on the matter of fares, yesterday, while the media began to test the system, the Times observed that 6 patacas was deducted from an LRT pass used to test the system.

This is perhaps an indication that a journey on the LRT will have a provisional, fixed fare price of MOP6 per journey on the Taipa line.

The fare price would be in line with what several government officials have hinted at in the past.

Although the price has not been confirmed and so it is liable to be adjusted before it is officially announced, the Times understands that for the time being, the amount is being considered. RM