MSAR 15th ANNIVERSARY | Transport: A city almost paused over traffic woes

According to data provided by DSAT, there are 13 McLaren vehicles registered in Macau. This is one of them

The territory’s urban planning limitations, a vehicle overload, a flawed public transport system and the delay of the LRT launch are just some of Macau’s mobility issues – in a city where the government is still focusing on isolated measures, analysts believe.
Having settled in Macau 30 years ago, architect Miguel Campina Ferreira is critical of the city’s transport policies, which he believes have been focusing “on a set of isolated measures that have translated into the chaos” that now faces residents and visitors.
“There are circumstances that hinder circulation, namely the fact that the urban areas have in itself limitations. This already happened in the old neighborhoods and it will remain if [the government] chooses to maintain those districts’ urban morphology (…) In some cases, bad decisions have been taken when it comes to changing the road network,” he reiterated.
Official data shows that Macau – comprising an area of 29.5 square kilometers and approximately 450 kilometers of road – had 237.503 vehicles in circulation by the end of October.
The architect believes that the number of vehicles – which can be divided into private, public and those operated by gaming concessionaries – is one of the reasons for Macau’s transportation system and pollution problems.
“We experience an overload as all these types of vehicles trigger an surplus and there hasn’t been any decision taken to limit or regulate [it],” he said.
Architect Carlos Marreiros shared a similar opinion, highlighting traffic and parking systems as some of the areas in which we have experienced negative results, which prevent residents and visitors from enjoying the city’s places, streets and squares.
He suggested the implementation of an automated parking system, which is designed to minimize the area or volume required to park cars. Mr Marreiros believes it is a less expensive solution taking into consideration the land costs.
Another traffic woe highlighted by architect Campina Ferreira is related to taxis serving the city, which has triggered citizens’ dissatisfaction not only due to the number of taxis available (around 1,000) but also because of the service provided.
“The unspeakable tale of taxis is yet another example of the way it has been dealing with public assets going against the most basic expectations of residents and visitors,” he stated.
Discussed since 2004, the Light Rail Transit construction continues to fuel debate when it comes to its added value. Campina Ferreira is amongst more skeptical voices toward the LRT project, which was intended to start operating in 2011/2012, but is only due to begin operations in 2022.
The architect criticizes the chosen technical solution: “It would be more convenient if [it had been developed] as an underground metro or at least at the same level of the roads, rather than a metro that will be circulating over our heads. This is only contributes to change the city’s features.”
In addition, he also recalls that the metro’s routes are mainly intended to serve tourists. “The metro starts at the border, continues through [the city’s] outskirts and leaves them at the casinos. It can contribute to ease traffic congestion, but people will only use a public transport if it is indeed a benefit,” he argued.
“How can a seven or eight years delay be explained? Is it a delay related to technical matters? Is Macau’s land different from that of other Asian countries or the rest of the world? The London metro was built toward the end of 19th century, whose soil is mainly comprised of clay. In Macau, at the beginning of the 21st century they are still discussing a project [being developed at] two paces: very slow or paused,” he stressed.
The metro has also triggered criticism over the lack of an overall budget, which, according to an audit report, has suffered several cost overruns.
The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, another major transport infrastructure under development, is set to be completed by 2016 and it is expected to bring Pearl River Delta regions closer together, but architect Campina Ferreira believes it will only worsen traffic woes, increasing the number of vehicles circulating with registration plates from Macau and other regions.
Besides congestion, pollution is another concern: “There’s a need to act upon this, and reach the conclusion that there’s a need to introduce green vehicles immediately.”
Addy Chan, vice-president of the Macau Institution of Engineers, shared similar opinions, stating that the government should act as an example and be the first entity using eco-friendly vehicles to encourage the population to follow in their footsteps.
“This is very important for the future,” he said, adding that there is also a need to replace older vehicles with more environment-friendly cars as well as limit the number of vehicles in circulation.  MDT/Lusa

Over 1,000 luxury cars on Macau’s roads

Macau’s gaming revenues have dropped consecutively since June, but money hasn’t failed to appear in some residents’ pockets as a total of 1,096 luxury cars are registered in the city.
Along its 450 kilometers of roads, there are 523 Bentley, 250 Rolls Royce, 158 Maserati, and 131 Ferrari models – quite a high number in a city affected by several traffic congestion issues.
According to data provided by the Transport Bureau (DSAT), there is also one Lamborghini Veneno registered, a vehicle that can reach 350 kilometers per hour.
The speed limit in Macau’s roads, however, only allows drivers to reach 80 kilometers per hour, and only along the city’s bridges connecting the peninsula to Taipa.
McLaren has 13 registered vehicles here. The success of Rolls Royce in Macau has led the brand to open an exclusive shop providing different options on the vehicle interiors that can be designed according to the clients’ wishes and how much they’re willing to pay.
Lamborghini has a total of 106 cars registered in Macau, namely the SE30, a vehicle launched to commemorate the brand’s 30th anniversary in 1994. There are only 150 units of this Lamborghini model.
Clients can also choose personalized registration plates, as it happens with the Lamborghini Aventador LP700, which reads “ONE.”
There are 19 personalized registration places in Macau. Those seeking to acquire one might have to prepare themselves to spend a high sum of money, with prices reaching MOP1 million for their registration plates to read “ONE” or “LOVE.”
Those who wish to choose specific numbers, usually associated with luck and wealth, can bid at local auctions. Throughout the current year, three auctions generated additional revenue of MOP35.1 million, as 559 numbers were sold for cars’ registration plates and 484 numbers for motorcycles.