LRT passenger suggests merchandise sale for railway promotion

A Light Rapid Transit (LRT) passenger suggested yesterday the rail line sell branded souvenirs and merchandise to better promote the infrastructure.

Yesterday saw the railway’s reopening following a six-month service suspension to replace high-voltage cables. The suspension started in October 2021 and completed on-time at the end of last month.

The passenger, who took the ride with his spouse and son, expressed his frustration that the LRT has so far not operated any merchandise sales.

In fact, the passenger’s family was not the only one taking rides. LRT trains were mostly filled with families and children yesterday.

Surnamed Chang, the passenger told the Times that he works in the marketing industry, which has led him wonder why the LRT company does not sell merchandise and souvenirs, which is a significant source of income.

It is not uncommon for railway operators to make and sell namesake souvenirs and merchandise. The metro systems in Taipei and Kaohsiung sell merchandise related to the railways, which are popular among tourists.

Meanwhile, the MTR Corporation in Hong Kong, which runs the LRT under commission by the Macau government, also sells merchandise, which is popular even among local residents and railway enthusiasts.

Chang said that merchandise sales can help bring more income to the not-very-profitable railway system, and it can help promote the LRT system to people living in and out of Macau.

For example, Chang said, he has contacted the LRT for a model train for his son. However, after his enquiry went in vain, he had to purchase and refine a toy that can only resemble the local LRT train.

Refined toy resembling the local LRT train

He hinted that children like the LRT system very much.

On the positioning of the railway system, Chang, among several other passengers, admitted that the LRT seems more like a tourist attraction than actual transport infrastructure.

Nonetheless, Wu, a student from Zhejiang Province of China, said that the system may not be widely known to tourists, hinting that they may not use the system when they are in Macau.

Studying in a school near Cotai, she admitted that if she needs to visit any Cotai resort, she will simply travel on foot. The LRT line is a wide detour between her institution and the resorts in Cotai.

Echoing their comments is Albert Wong, president of the Macau Association of Railway Culture, who admitted that “few people would use LRT independently except for leisure use,” which he objects to as the being the suggested true purpose of the system.

He thinks, similar to the local passengers whom the Times interviewed, the LRT will only show its value when the Barra, Hengqin and East Lines are ready.

Wong also finds the LRT’s means of payment problematic. “It is also a regret that no update of the payment system was made during the maintenance of the cable. This would make it easier for people to take the LRT,” he said.

Public broadcaster TDM reported a railway enthusiast running to the platform after passing through the payment gate yesterday morning before the first train. He even made his own placard to celebrate the occasion.

He told TDM that he had arrived at the Ocean Station 30 minutes before the first train was scheduled to leave.