Lawmaker calls for investigation into TCM bus rental service

Lawmaker Si Ka Lon has urged the government to launch an investigation into local bus operator TCM, because the company has been providing bus rental services to casino resorts, Portuguese media reported yesterday.
TCM (Sociedade de Transportes Colectivos de Macau) has been renting buses within its fleet to casino operators seeking to provide transportation for their non-resident workers. On the Facebook page ‘Macau Buses and Public Transportation Enthusiasts’, several pictures of TCM buses being used to serve casino workers during peak travel times were uploaded, the newspaper Ponto Final reported.
Lawmaker Si Ka Lon raised concerns regarding this rental service in a written enquiry. He said that the partnership between TCM and gaming operators is resulting in a decrease of the available public buses circulating in town.
“Employees within this sector told me that when vehicles now used by casinos have any problems, or when there’s a lack of drivers for casinos shuttle-buses, TCM drivers will replace them,” wrote Si Ka Lon, quoted by newspaper Hoje Macau.
The lawmaker fears that if such a scenario becomes reality, the frequency of buses on busy routes will be reduced. He provided a few examples, including the 6A bus, whose final destination is the public hospital, or the MT3U travelling to the University of Macau’s new campus, as well as the 22 heading to Taipa. Si Ka Lon said that there is a great demand for these routes, since a high number of residents use them daily.
The lawmaker questioned Macau’s authorities behavior on this matter, stating that they only pay attention to general principles, avoiding discussing problems whenever they arise. He added that such an approach does not benefit the public bus companies or passengers.
Si Ka Lon urged the government to assess the bus operators’ response capacity. He also asked the government when they would release the results of the research on public bus companies, which could help improve this public service.