Lawmakers express concerns over new road traffic bill, calling for clarification

Lawmakers from the First Standing Committee of the Legislative Assembly are not satisfied with some aspects of the bill proposing amendments to the road traffic law in Macau.

In a media briefing after the last committee meeting, the president of the committee, Ella Lei, said that the members have expressed several concerns, which were subsequently submitted as questions to the government. Among the points of contention is the proposed MOP300 fine for pedestrians using mobile phones and other similar devices while crossing the streets and roads of Macau.

Lei questioned the practical implementation of this rule and noted that it was unclear under what conditions it would be enforced. She also noted that it was illogical to only apply the penalty to electronic devices and not to others. Lei pointed out that a pedestrian might be crossing the street while reading a book, causing potentially the same danger as someone on their phone, but the former action would not constitute an infraction under the new provisions. For this reason, she believes the government needs to provide clarification on the matter.

Another aspect that is controversial is the absence of a mandatory requirement for passengers seated in the back seats of vehicles to wear seatbelts. The lawmaker noted that the omission of such a rule is outdated, given that neighboring regions have long had laws mandating seatbelt use in all car seats.

She also mentioned that, at the time of the public consultation held by the government before the presentation of this bill, the mandatory use of seatbelts in all car seats was part of the proposal. There was no justification provided for the government’s decision to remove it from the bill.

Among the many questions that the committee drafted to present to the government is a request for clarification on the mandatory use of helmets by cyclists as well as the rules surrounding the transportation of bicycles on pedestrian areas and sidewalks.