Organizers suggest people walk to reduce traffic during races
The organizing committee of the Macau Grand Prix event (MGPOC) is suggesting people in Macau commute on foot as much as possible during the event days to reduce traffic, Mok Soi Tou, Head of Coordination Department of the Transport Bureau (DSAT) said yesterday in a press conference on the traffic arrangements ahead of the GP.
In the last event, Mok recommended that people opt for public transport instead of using private vehicles. This time, Mok advised people to refrain from using public transportation altogether, as much as possible.
With the opening of the new Guia Hill Pedestrian Tunnel to the public, he hopes “people can make use of this new facility to facilitate commuting between Horta e Costa areas and ZAPE district.”
According to the same official, “such a route takes only 10 to 15 minutes on foot.” For this reason, people are “advised to walk [instead of taking any form of vehicle transportation] to avoid increasing traffic pressure and traffic jams during the event.”
As in previous years, traffic will be congested during the four days, as many streets and roads will be closed to give way to the racing event at Guia Circuit, as well as the necessary exit routes and emergency vehicles.
A total of 50 bus routes will be modified, and one of them (H2) will be suspended. As with previous events, the DSAT will put into operation two special temporary bus routes (12T and 31T) that will connect the Praça de Ferreira de Amaral Bus Hub to the Forum Macau. These bus routes will operate free of charge from early morning on November 17 until November 20 evening.
Roadworks suspended
in some areas till 23
Mok also announced that several roadworks that have been ongoing in several areas of the city, including the Avenida Dr. Sun Yat-Sen and the Rua de Luis Gonzaga Gomes, will be suspended to facilitate the traffic during not only the GP but also the events that follow until the end of the year. Referring specifically to the Avenida Dr. Sun Yat-Sen, Mok said that the first phase of certain gas piping works had been concluded on November 7.
However, the second phase will only start from 2023 to coordinate with the year-end events that include the Macau International Marathon, among others.
Ferry Terminal Parking Lot to reopen
Another of the facilities are used by the GP is the Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal public parking lot.
Addressing several aspects of the traffic arrangements, MGPOC Infrastructure Subcommittee Coordinator and engineer Diamantino Torrado said that the parking lot will be returned to public usage from November 25. Furthermore, the plan is to remove all metal barriers along the main streets and roads of the central district of Macau by November 26, with the remaining ones to be gone by the first few days of December.
The number of gates that allow traffic to pass through every day after the event program is concluded increased from 150 to 162 this year.
