The underground parking area near the Light Rapid Transit (LRT) Jockey Club Station, which has only been used for heavy passenger vehicles since its opening in 2022, will also provide parking spaces for cars from tomorrow, its operator announced in a statement yesterday.
Heavy passenger vehicles refer to buses and tourist coaches.
The underground parking area is part of the Estrada Governador Albano de Oliveira Public Transport Interchange located next to the LRT Jockey Club Station.
Different to public carparks in general in the city which are managed by the government’s Transport Bureau (DSAT), the underground parking area on Estrada Governador Albano de Oliveira is run by the government-owned LRT operator, Macau Light Rapid Transit Corporation Limited (MLM).
In addition to the underground parking area, the Estrada Governador Albano de Oliveira Public Transport Interchange also includes a public bus interchange, which is connected to the LRT Jockey Club Station by an elevated platform featuring green spaces.
Running along the now-defunct Macau Jockey Club, Estrada Governador Albano de Oliveira (柯維納馬路) is a two-way road connecting an area near the Ocean Gardens residential estate and the Macau Stadium complex. The road’s dual carriageways are separated by a central area.
The underground parking area for heavy passenger vehicles on Estrada Governador Albano de Oliveira came into use in May 2022, but its usage rate has reportedly been very low since then. Consequently, some civic leaders had urged the government to convert some of the parking area’s spaces for heavy passenger vehicles into ones for cars.
Yesterday’s MLM said that in line with the government’s policy of making better use of public parking resources and with the aim of meeting drivers’ parking needs in the area, the LRT operator decided to convert the underground parking area only for heavy passenger vehicles into one for providing parking spaces for both heavy passenger vehicles and cars.
The statement said that the work has now been completed, adding that the newly converted parking spaces for cars will come into use at 00:00 a.m. tomorrow.
From tomorrow, the statement said, the underground parking area will provide 105 parking spaces for cars, two spaces for cars designated for drivers with disabilities, and nine spaces for heavy passenger vehicles.
According to the statement, the newly converted carpark will be operated with a half-hourly fee system, where cars will be charged three patacas per 30 minutes during the day (from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.) and 1.5 patacas per 30 minutes during the night (from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. the next day).
Heavy passenger vehicles will continue to be charged on a monthly rental basis.
According to the statement, the carpark will accept cash, Macau Pass cards, credit cards, and various other e-payment channels.
The city’s first public carpark with a half-hourly fee system came into use early this month, namely the underground carpark at the new Mong Son Building social rental housing estate on Avenida de Venceslau de Morais (慕拉士大馬路) in the peninsula.
In all other public carparks, cars are charged on an hourly basis.
This undated handout photo released by Macau Light Rapid Transit Corporation Limited (MLM) yesterday shows the entrance to the underground parking area on Estrada Governador Albano de Oliveira in Taipa.
