The area of “Old Taipa” covering the junction of Rua de Fernão Mendes Pinto and Rua do Supico, the junction of Rua Correia da Silva and Rua Governador Tamagnini Barbosa, as well as the section between Calçada do Quartel and Avenida de Carlos da Maia, will be temporarily pedestrianised from noon to 7 p.m. between the first and the ninth days of the Chinese New Year (February 10-18), Economic and Technological Development Bureau (DSEDT) Director Tai Kin Ip announced on Friday.
Tai said that the temporary pedestrianisation aimed to optimise the foot traffic and vehicular traffic management there, stressing that the relevant public entities, i.e., his bureau, Transport Bureau (DSAT), Public Security Police (PSP), Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO) and the Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM), will strive to strike the right balance between the needs of residents, merchants and visitors, ensure the safe and orderly movement of pedestrians and vehicles in the area and, at the same time, provide residents and tourists alike with a more comfortable and better experience.
During the pedestrianisation, according to Tai, police officers and officials from various other entitites will be in the area to assist residents and keep visitors updated with information such as about traffic changes and locations in the area, while large signage will be set up at salient locations in the area. At the same time, public information posters and promotional videos will be shown there for residents and businesses alike to be aware of the relevant arrangements in advance.
Tai said that experience has shown that the area is usually quite crowded, with a peak of several thousand visitors per hour. He insisted that the scheme will be launched on the basis of past experience and in full consideration of the views of local associations and residents, with the aim of facilitating more comfortable movement of both foot and vehicular traffic in the area.
Tai made the remarks during a joint press conference with the Transport Bureau, Public Security Police, Macau Government Tourism Office and Municipal Affairs Bureau, in conjunction with several Taipa neighbourhood’s associations, at the Luso International Bank Building in Nam Van.
The range of temporary traffic measures which will be implemented daily from noon to 7 p.m. from Saturday through February 18 include, according to the press conference, the 7-hour closure of vehicular traffic in the pedestrianised area every day, as well as the temporarily reversed direction of vehicular traffic in Rua do Supico, next to Rua Fernão Mendes Pinto.
A number of bus routes running through the pedestrian area will be rerouted during the 9-day period, the updates of which, the press conference noted, will be made available by the Transport Bureau in due course.
This handout photo provided by the Economic and Technological Development Bureau (DSEDT), Transport Bureau (DSAT), the Public Security Police (PSP), Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO) and Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) shows their joint press conference with several Taipa neighbourhood’s associations on Friday at the Luso International Bank Building in Nam Van about their temporary pedestrianisation area in Taipa which will take effect from Saturday through February 18, including DSEDT Director Tai Kin Ip (fourth from left).
