The Transport Bureau (DSAT) said in a statement yesterday that in order to cooperate with the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) in its “Strolling through Almeida Ribeiro – Pilot Scheme for a Pedestrian Area”, a section of Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro (aka “San Ma Lou” in Cantonese – “New Road”) between Rua do Visconde Paço de Arcos and Rua Central, as well as some surrounding areas will be closed to vehicular traffic, with some sections of the road will only allow specially authorised vehicles.
The pilot scheme will take place from 8 a.m. on Sunday, the first day of Chinese New Year (CNY), to 11:59 p.m. next Tuesday, the third day of the CNY; and from 8 a.m. on February 4, the 14th day of CNY, to 11:59 p.m. on February 5, the 15th day of CNY, the statement noted.
The statement highlighted that in order to facilitate traffic access between the east and west sections of San Ma Lou, new traffic restrictions will be in place for Rua dos Faitiões, Rua da Tercena, Rua de Nossa Senhora do Amparo, the section of Rua do Guimarães between San Ma Lou and Rua de Constantino Brito, and part of the Rua da Felicidade between Travessa do Aterro Novo and Rua da Alfândega.
The statement noted that during the five-day event, vehicles heading from Avenida da Praia Grande to Ponte 16 need to detour to the Sai Van area and head for their original destination via Barra and Praça de Ponte e Horta, while vehicles heading for Avenida da Praia Grande from the Ponte 16 area are advised to detour to Mercado de S. Lourenço area via Sai Van area and then onto the original destination. The statement added that temporary loading and unloading areas will be set up in Rua das Lorchas, Avenida do Infante D. Henrique and Avenida da Praia Grande for public use.
The statement underlined that a total of 26 bus routes will be affected during the period when San Ma Lou is temporarily pedestrianised, comprising 22 daytime bus routes and four night bus routes, which all will be diverted from and temporarily not stop in San Ma Lou and some surrounding bus stops. In addition, a temporary route, 5S, en route to Rua das Lorchas and Rua Um do Bairro Vá Tai, will be added during the five days.
San Ma Lou is Macau’s main thoroughfare.
Further details about bus routes in general can be found on the websites of the two public bus operators –TCM at http://www.tcm.com.mo and Transmac at http://www.transmac.com.mo.
The statement said that next Tuesday evening during the float parade held by the Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO), some bus routes will be diverted due to the simultaneous implementation of temporary traffic measures in Zape.
More details can be found on the DSAT website: http://www.dsat.gov.mo/dsat/news_detail.aspx?a_id=4F53C3747B938C95FD3C91FF22689905.
This Chinese-language map provided by the Transport Bureau (DSAT) yesterday shows the temporary traffic arrangements during the temporary pedestrianisation of San Ma Lou (Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro) between this coming Sunday and next Tuesday, as well as on February 4-5.
