The Public Security Police (PSP) announced in a statement on Sunday that since the beginning of this year they have fined 16 cyclists for riding illegally on the three Macau-Taipa bridges – the Governor Nobre de Carvalho Bridge (aka “Old Bridge”), Friendship Bridge and Sai Van Bridge.
The statement underlined that biking is prohibited on the three bridges, as well as the Cotai-Hengqin Lotus Flower Bridge.
The police urged cyclists to always pay close attention to the city’s traffic signs while riding safely on the road in accordance with the law, and not to disregard their own or other road users’ safety.
The statement stressed that both residents and tourists must abide by Macau’s Road Traffic Law.
Traffic council member urges govt to enhance public awareness of road traffic law
Meanwhile, in view of the fact that the number of traffic accidents involving bicycles, e-scooters and skateboards has increased in recent years, the Macau General Union of Neighbourhood’s Social Affairs Committee Supervisor Cheong Sok Leng, who is also a member of the government-appointed Traffic Consultative Council, has urged the government to strengthen residents and tourists’ awareness of the importance of abiding by the city’s road traffic law, while also enhancing its law education and carrying out more traffic police patrols.
Cheong made the remarks during an interview with The Macau Post Daily via WeChat yesterday.
Cheong raised the example of two of the five tourists from the mainland who were fined for cycling across the Sai Van Bridge on its special lane from Macau to Taipa for motorcycles only last month, saying that tourists who are not familiar with Macau’s traffic rules may “mistakenly” consider that the traffic rules and driving habits of Macau are the same as in their country or regions, and therefore, leading to “frequent traffic violations” in Macau.
Three of the five bridge-cycling tourists were children and, consequently, not fined.
Therefore, Cheong urged the government to take advantage of online platforms to inform netizens of the city’s traffic regulations, while also setting up electronic screens with slogans at local border checkpoints, so as to strengthen public awareness of the importance of observing Macau’s traffic regulations.
In the case of Sai Van Bridge, she added, the sign “for motorcycles only” should be added to the two designated lanes (one in either direction) for clear recognition by users.
In addition, in order to further protect public safety, Cheong strongly urged the government to draft and amend regulations on the use of bicycles, skateboards and e-scooters.
Concerning the recent traffic accident in which a young skateboarder darting into the road crashed into a car, Cheong said she believed there was an urgent need to “fill a considerable legal gap” by regulating and standardising the use of skateboards, bicycles and e-scooters. She added that in order to prevent e- scooter and skateboard users from travelling on the road, the government should allocate special areas to meet the needs of their activities.
Undated file photo of the Macau General Union of Neighbourhood’s Social Affairs Committee Supervisor Cheong Sok Leng, who is also a member of the government-appointed Traffic Consultative Council. The union is widely known as Kai Fong, its short name in Cantonese.
– Photo provided by Cheong yesterday
