Several changes to take place in city’s transportation facilities

Kelvin Lam Hin San

Changes to the city’s transportation facilities will be implemented in the coming years according to Kelvin Lam Hin San, deputy director of the Transport Bureau (DSAT) following Friday’s meeting of the Transport Advisory Committee.
All parking meters in Macau will be replaced starting from the middle of next month. The company responsible for the replacements will take two years to complete the  scheduled work, which includes more than 12,000 meters across the city. The operation will begin in the busier regions of town. “Fares should not be adjusted in the beginning,” Lam informed, adding that “the fare has not been changed since 1987, which has been nearly 30 years, although there are some suggestions which advocate a suitable adjustment of the meters’ fees.” However, regarding potential adjustment values, Lam claims that the department is “still thinking about them.”
According to Lam, new meters will be able to accept at least two electronic currencies, “including Macau Pass at the first stage.” Users will also be allowed to use a five-pataca coin to make the payment, an option currently unavailable.
Additional blue meters will be installed at busier regions in order to meet the demand of those in a rush and those who only need to park for a short time.
Macau Forehap Parking Management Limited will pay the government, on a half-year basis, first MOP6.3 million and then MOP10.9 million.
A change will also be implemented to the bus-reporting system. “I estimate that by November or December all bus lines will be uploaded to the reporting system, and that this month 19 lines will be already uploaded,” said Lam.
According to Lam, in the months of May, June, and July, the daily number of bus passengers increased by around 30,000 year-on-year. In July alone, the number reached 580,000 per day. “The current everyday bus capacity that we can ensure is 610,000, a number able to meet the demand,” said Lam, adding that “we still need to find solutions to enhance the service during rush hours.” Julie Zhu