Public outcry after rerouting Line 25

People waiting for a bus in Hac Sa

Several Coloane residents are calling for Bus Line 25 to be restored to its initial route, as now it is nearly impossible to transfer to another line in Coloane Village – where the line now terminates – particularly on weekends and holidays.

Bus stops from Coloane Village to Hac Sa Beach for Line 25 ceased operation on the first Saturday of last month, affecting several residents residing and working in the Coloane peninsula.

According to several users of the bus, the route amendment has made traveling to and from the beach even more inconvenient than before.

Apart from lengthier wait times, these users require additional travel time to transfer buses.

Georgia Creeden, a resident in Hac Sa since 2001, told the Times that getting to Coloane had already been troublesome, adding that even taxis refuse to bring passengers to Coloane.

“Buses from Macau and Taipa on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays are usually full, often packed like sardines, and it is not unusual for them not to stop at bus stops,” said Creeden.

“Now that there is one less bus, we have to wait much longer, and that is very troublesome when the buses are full. […] Bottom line, this amendment has made traveling to/from the beach worse than ever!” she continued.

Another resident, Katrienn Scott, who has been residing in the peninsula for nine years, agreed that the amended route has been a great inconvenience for residents in Coloane.

According to Scott, people that work in Hellene Garden and the restaurants nearby find it difficult to get to work on time, as buses to Hac Sa often reach full capacity and refuse to take additional passengers at Taipa bus stops.

As a result, those traveling from Macau to Hac Sa and need to do a stopover in Taipa to change buses are finding it problematic to find buses from Taipa to Coloane.

“When I send [my helper] to the market in Taipa, she will have to wait a long time for the bus [to return]. Most of the time the buses to Hac Sa don’t even stop in Taipa as they are too full,” Scott explained.

A petition was delivered requesting the restoration of the line

“This means that a lot of helpers panic because their bosses will get angry that they take too long. Last week she had to wait for over an hour with our shopping, at the bus stop in Taipa, [buses on Line] 21a [or] 26a just don’t stop,” she claimed.

Meanwhile, employees at a restaurant in Cheoc Van also noted that the amended route of Line 25 have caused them delays in travelling to and from Macau later.

As most of them reside in Macau, they lamented having to leave their homes earlier than usual, adding that they have occasionally had to wait up to 30 minutes to board a bus from Cheoc Van to Macau.

“It’s really difficult for us because we have to wait for a long time especially when we get off work, which is at 11 p.m. Usually, buses are full even by that time and we’ll have to wait for another one,” said an employee.

Echoing the same sentiments, another employee added, “Some don’t see that we’re having a hard time to catch a bus going and coming from here. Usually when the bus reaches Coloane Village, it gets really full. I hope they bring back Bus 25.”

Back in May, the Transport Bureau (DSAT) noted that the adjustments to Line 25 will allow the frequency of the route to be adjusted to between 4 and 18 minutes, with shorter intervals between buses during peak hours and reduced frequency of services during weekends.

As previously reported, such changes aim to meet passenger demand and to respond to an increase of passengers in Border Gate, Central, Seac Pai Van and Coloane Village areas.

However, according to Coloane residents, public transportation in the region is “getting worse, not better.”

According to Creeden, who has been residing in Coloane for 16 years, there was an instance in which over 100 people queued up for a bus at the beach, which the buses – arriving at intervals of 10 to 15 minutes – failed to accommodate.

Claire Penn, a resident who moved to Hac Sa in February, also witnessed domestic workers working in Hellene Garden queuing up along with a significant number of passengers in Hac Sa.

“After their work is done, we are finding them still waiting for buses in long lines of up to 100 people all waiting for a bus from Hac Sa,” said Penn.

According to Penn, the recent Tuen Ng Festival only further highlighted the issue as hoards of families descended on Hac Sa for the public holiday.

Traffic during that day was reportedly chaotic as multiple vehicles blocked the road to Hac Sa from Coloane Village.

Not only did the traffic interrupt families who were attempting to enjoy the beach, it also disturbed Hellene Garden residents with the blaring of car horns.

Penn said that the traffic began at 1 p.m. and continued after 8 p.m.

“In my opinion, not only is it the lack of public services – namely the Line 25 reroute [which resulted] in people having to use their cars to come to the beach, but also the way the heavy traffic was being directed at the core,” Penn said.

She suggested that if traffic enforcers communicated with other officers advising them of potential empty car park space, the traffic would not be as chaotic.

Residents also agreed that there is a need to manage the flow of incoming vehicles further outside of Hac Sa’s boundaries.

Last month, a group, led by lawmaker Leong Veng Chai and Rita Santos, president of the General Assembly of the Macau Civil Servant’s Association (ATFPM), delivered a petition to the Chief Executive (CE) requesting the restoration of Bus Line 25, so that it will stop again at Hac Sa Beach.

Residents complain of ‘beeping horns’ at Coloane Village

Coloane residents reported that traffic in Coloane Village has worsened, adding that traffic at the roundabout is stagnant, especially on weekends and public holidays.

The change of bus stops and the terminus of Lines 50 and 25 in Coloane Village have likely contributed to the congestion.

“While [the buses] wait, they block the traffic badly, especially when a tour bus wants to transfer, pick up their passengers or drop them off,” Scott commented.

“My friend lives in the village and since Bus 25 [stops there], the noise of beeping horns has gone from nothing to massive amounts,” she added.

Meanwhile, residents have criticized the terminus of Line 50 and 25 in Coloane Village, with some remarking that it is bizarre.

“Transferring in Coloane Village is a joke! […] It seems absurd that the terminus for many buses is Coloane Village,” Creeden commented.