Tourists unimpressed with LRT service, offer suggestions for improvements

Visitors to Macau are dissatisfied with the Light Rapid Transit (LRT) system, the Times learned from several interviewees, and cited operational flaws and significant room for improvement.

Hong Kong residents Johnson and Rita, interviewed by the Times at the Pai Kok station near Taipa’s old village, said that they had tried the service multiple times and it was not convenient.

Rita pointed out the long waiting times, noting that a 10-minute interval between trains is too long. She was required to shelter from the elements under an umbrella, remarking, “if we were not already at [the platform], I would have turned back and taken the bus instead.”

Johnson added that the stations do not provide enough shelter, particularly during heavy rain or extreme heat, which makes the wait time uncomfortable for passengers. “It is a shame because I see that this system could be very convenient. For example, for those of us who arrive at the Taipa Ferry [Terminal] and want to walk around the Cotai area, the LRT could be a good way to commute between the Ferry and the Hotels. But, in reality, there is no link between the stations and the buildings [properties].”

Telling the Times that they were staying for three days, Rita added, “we are staying at the Wynn Palace and we were told that there is a [LRT] station nearby. Upon our arrival, we quickly realized that the station is not as close as it seems, especially in heavy rain. There is no shelter. We needed to go down from the platform to the street level and then walk for 5 or 10 minutes until we reached the closest entrance of the hotel, which was not even close to the area where we had to do our check-in. The transport system seems completely disconnected from the hotels and malls. I think it needs serious rethinking.”

Despite these issues, the couple reportedly enjoys visiting Macau at least once every two months for shopping. In contrast to Hong Kong, Rita explained that the luxury brand stores in Macau “offer a more relaxed feeling.”

“In Hong Kong I probably need to wait some 15 to 30 minutes or more to enter some of the stores because there are a lot of people and we need to wait in a queue at the door before entering the store. In Macau, there isn’t usually such a hassle. We arrive and immediately enter the store. The prices are the same or even cheaper,” she explained.

At the LRT station of Cotai West, the Times encountered two visitors from Malaysia. Janice Yee agreed to speak with the Times and provide her impressions of the LRT.

“It’s our first time trying the trains in Macau. They are a bit cold inside but they are clean and provide a fun trip,” Yee said, saying that she and her friend had traveled to Macau over the weekend to watch the Volleyball Nations League (VNL) matches live, particularly the matches from Japan, which is their favorite team.

Staying at Galaxy Hotel, Yee said they did not have extensive transportation needs other than to commute between the airport and the hotel upon arrival in Macau.

“We were actually waiting for a taxi at the airport to take us to the hotel, but then a security staff member, I think from the airport, told us about the trains so we decided to give it a try,” Yee said. Yee noted that there was no information about this transport system in Malaysia before they traveled to Macau.

Finding the trip fast and generally pleasant, Yee only expressed some questions regarding the payment methods.

“I just don’t understand the payment,” she said, “it seems strange that we can use e-payment for everything in Macau but for transportation we need to go to the counter and pay for the tickets and get a plastic coin that then we need to use to enter and exit the stations. It is a bit time-consuming and somewhat inconvenient. We were wondering if local people also need to do this or if there are easier ways to get tickets.”

Questioned about their opinion on the connectivity between the LRT station and other venues, Yee also expressed surprise about the disconnection.

“The Galaxy Arena is a new venue, right? I think it’s a bit odd that since it is new and was built after the LRT, there isn’t a more straightforward way to enter the venue. It would have made sense to build a short flyover to get to the Galaxy International Convention Center.”

“There is also no connection to Venetian,” Yee’s friend (who asked to remain anonymous) added.

According to the latest information from the Macao LRT Corporation (MLM), the number of passengers transported by the LRT has dropped once again in May this year to a daily average of 11,800.

The figure represents the lowest number of passengers transported this year. Previously, the lowest month had been March, with an average of 12,000 passengers per day.

The Times has contacted both the MLM and the Transport Bureau (DSAT) seeking comments from the authorities on the issues presented by the visitors, as well as suggestions for improving the service but, until press time, no responses were received.