Prisca Tang
The Transport Bureau (DSAT) said in a statement yesterday that the Qingmao pedestrian border checkpoint’s carpark to open to the public at 2 p.m. tomorrow.
The statement said that in order to avoid overcrowding at the Qingmao carpark, the bureau is urging residents to also use other public carparks nearby, adding that the fees at the Qingmao carpark are more expensive than regular public carparks.
The statement noted that including the new border checkpoint carpark there are now four public carparks nearby, comprising 4,782 parking spaces only 365 of which belong to the checkpoint – 158 for light vehicles and 207 for motorcycles. The Qingmao carpark is located on the first floor of its basement. The statement also said that besides driving to the checkpoint residents can also take public transport, adding that there are 16 bus routes that stop at the checkpoint.
According to the statement’s list of parking fees, light vehicles during the day (8 a.m. to 8 p.m.) will be charged eight patacas per hour, while at night (8 p.m. to 8 a.m.) they will be charged six patacas per hour. The list also indicates that motorcycles will be charged three patacas per hour during the day and two patacas per hour during the night.
The 24-hour Qingmao pedestrian border checkpoint slated to open tomorrow consists of 100 e-channels (50 each for departures and arrivals) and four conventional channels (two each for departures and arrivals). The Qingmao checkpoint will be the third Macau-Zhuhai checkpoint where the “joint inspection and one-time release” immigration and customs clearance system has been adopted.
According to a Public Security Police (PSP) statement last week, the checkpoint will only be accessible to mainlanders who can use e-channels to travel between Macau and the mainland, Macau residents and Hong Kong permanent residents, mainlanders holding a digital version of the Exit-Entry Permit for Travelling to and from Hong Kong and Macau, and holders of both a Macau ID and a Home Return Permit (回鄉證) or a Hong Kong ID and a Home Return Permit.
Consequently, foreigners will be unable to use the new checkpoint.
For those who are unable to use the checkpoint’s e-channels due to special reasons, such as a damaged chip on their ID card, failure of facial or fingerprint recognition, or wheelchair users, are allowed to use the conventional counter to go through immigration.
This undated handout photo provided by the Transport Bureau (DSAT) yesterday shows the entrance for motorcycles in Estrada do Canal dos Patos.
