Transportation | Guia Hill pedestrian tunnel well received by authorities

Six representatives from two local associations met the Secretary for Transport and Public Works, Raimundo do Rosário, last week to discuss plans to excavate a tunnel through the Guia Hill in order to accommodate  pedestrians.
Following an online survey launched in February which intended to collect public opinions on the passage construction, the two groups submitted 852 online responses to the secretary, of which 94.2 percent were in favour of the proposal.
After the two-hour meeting – which discussed issues including the light railway transit infrastructure, the potential optimisation of the walking environment for pedestrians and the monitoring of automobile numbers – Ron Lam, Vice President of the Choi In Tong Sam Association, told the media that Raimundo do Rosário responded positively to the Guia Hill pedestrian tunnel proposal.  However, do Rosário conceded that the detailed framework for such a project would not be on the horizon soon, as it would require a lot of technical planning. The 59-year-old also acknowledged that there were imminent traffic issues plaguing the city, which must be addressed first.
“The secretary agreed to implement the project, yet he admitted that since he took office, there are still lots of issues in the field of public works [that must] be addressed,” said Lam. “He also has not yet communicated with the public works bureau as to when to put the project into practice.”
The vice head of the association disclosed that the secretary might reveal more specific information on the project in the policy address for the sector of public works and transport, which will be held later this week.
Ron Lam contended that the pedestrian tunnel would serve as “one more option” for the general public, saying that limiting the number of local vehicles on the streets would be insufficient. “I think it’s a good start to optimize the walking environment, including the Guia Hill tunnel. Local residents would consider walking more […] if the passage proves successful,” said the vice president, adding that it would free up “more space for the society to reconsider the entire traffic policy.”
Incidentally, Lam said that the government had to set a clear goal in addressing the various traffic problems, lest they develop into more severe issues.