LRT passengers getting closer to all-time record

[Photo; Renato Marques]

The average daily number of passengers transported by the Light Rapid Transit (LRT) system is approaching its all-time record of 33,000, set in the first month of operations (Dec. 2019), when the system was in trial, and trips were free of charge.

Last month (Jan. 2026), the LRT recorded a daily average of 30,000 passengers, in line with the top three daily averages of 2025, when the system averaged over 30,000 per day.

The highest single-month figure (excluding Dec. 2019) was November 2025, when the LRT transported 32,600 passengers/day.

Compared year over year, the January 2026 result was 18.58% higher than in January 2025, and it was also 8.7% higher month over month compared with December 2025.

In 2025, the overall daily average for the whole year stood at 26,400, a figure that, although representing an exponential increase from the previous year (2024), is still well below the expectations set by the government for this mass transport system.

According to officials, the system should become increasingly popular as it matures and expands connectivity, particularly with the upcoming entry into operation of the ongoing East Line construction.

Still, at a time when the government is conducting a public consultation on the system’s future development, the LRT expansion projects appear to lack consensus.

At the first public consultation session last Sunday, residents expressed significant opposition to the project to extend the Seac Pai Van Line to Coloane Village.

Seac Pai Van residents have voiced concerns over the design of the extension line, with some participants in the public session accusing the development plan of “sacrificing” the community’s safety, tranquility, and harmony.

This social controversy has drawn online comparisons to the 2014 “Areia Preta” incident, when a proposed elevated LRT plan for the “Areia Preta Urban Park” station sparked public debate over its perceived impact on residents’ recreational environment.

As the Times reported yesterday, local urban planner Lam Iek Chit acknowledged in an exclusive interview that residents’ perceptions of the project may not fully align, which could lead to misunderstandings.

He noted that while the controversy surrounding Areia Preta primarily centered on the elevated structure crossing the park, the Seac Pai Van project is located along the roadway and does not affect green spaces.

He emphasized that the situation underscores the need for the government to provide more comprehensive information to build residents’ trust and prevent misunderstandings caused by insufficient information.

While residents in the Seac Pai Van area proposed burying the extension line, the government explained that this is not technically feasible.

New E-payment methods in 2H

At the public consultation session last Sunday, the administrator of the LRT Company, Ng Keng Chung, announced that the works for the revamp of the turnstiles of the LRT to allow e-payment methods such as MPay, Alipay, WeChat Pay and UnionPay, among others in ongoing and that the new payment methods should start operating from the second half (2H) of this year.

He also announced that ticket dispensing machines will be upgraded to accept multiple payment methods, making ticket purchases easier for passengers.

Concurrently, the company is continuing to progressively expand the Wi-Fi network at all LRT stations. For now, free Wi-Fi is available at the Barra and Hengqin Stations.