Private car parks have no regulation, DSAT confirms

The many private parking lot facilities in Macau are operating without the need for any licensing or regulations, since there are no rules in Macau regulating private parking, the Transport Bureau (DSAT) confirmed in a response to an inquiry from the Times.

“There are currently no laws in Macau regulating private parking lots,” reads DSAT’s short written response to the Times.

In the inquiry, the Times asked about how many private parking lot facilities exist currently in Macau, particularly those that are temporary and are located in idle land plots. The Times also asked if any of these facilities possess any type of licensing or are subject to regulations on safety, fees or other aspects.

According to the response, such facilities are not illegal and do not require any licensing, laws, or other rules to be followed.

Legal loophole at the service of landholders

This legal loophole seems to allow anyone in possession of a land plot, including those owned by the state and undergoing disputes for concession expirations, to use them temporarily as parking lots, which can generate income.

The Times has visited several of these facilities located across the Peninsula, particularly in areas classified as “old neighborhoods,” observing a wide range of prices and offers. While some of these facilities have a “gatekeeper” and charge motorists by the hour, other facilities only offer forms of longer-term parking or vehicle storage through monthly or even yearly “passes.”

Unregulated and non-fixed prices

In general, prices per hour vary between MOP20 and MOP30, depending on the parking and location, while the prices per month can reach several thousand patacas. In some cases, the Times learned that landlords demand payments of a full year in advance so that motorists have access to the keys or cards that provide access to the parking facility.

While using these unregulated facilities motorists must also bear in mind that there is no form of insurance or safety net in the case of an accident or damages caused to vehicles.

Convenience is key

Despite this risk, many motorists opt for this type of facility as they are usually located in convenient areas that are not serviced by regular public parking lots.

Recently, the operations of several large-scale facilities of this kind have been halted due to the government reclaiming the land plots. However, new ones are often immediately created in another area, while projects for building construction are undergoing several bureaucratic and governmental procedures.

Gov’t claims there is enough parking

In a debate at the Legislative Assembly held in mid-June this year, the Secretary for Transport and Public Works, Raimundo do Rosário, has refuted several claims that the land plots previously retrieved by the government due to concession expiration are idle or abandoned.

Several lawmakers had proposed that the government temporarily use some of the land plots as parking lots while awaiting development, which can take several years.

However, Rosário said there are currently enough parking spaces in Macau for existing vehicles, adding these land reserves would be unsuitable for use as parking lots, since most of the unassigned land resources are located in Taipa and Coloane, where there is no pressing need to increase parking capacity.

Nonetheless, he acknowledged that to do so could be beneficial, if suitable spaces could be found in the Peninsula, where demand for parking is higher.

On previous occasions, Rosário as well as DSAT director, Kevin Lam, rejected the idea that the government would soon be building more public parking lot facilities, claiming that the current offering is sufficient, while the government intends to limit the growth of the number of private vehicles and favors further development of public transportation instead.