The Transport Bureau (DSAT) has said that the government will continue to carry out “comprehensive” examinations and the necessary repairs to the ceiling of the Barrier Gate underground public bus terminal which was severely affected by water leakage last Saturday when Macau was pummelled by torrential rain.
Macau’s observatory issued this year’s first black rainstorm signal on Saturday last week, which was in force for 38 minutes between 11:37 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. It was also the first black rainstorm signal issued in nearly three years.
Heavy water leakage during black rainstorm signal
According to various local Chinese-language media reports, the public bus terminal underneath the Barrier Gate checkpoint was affected by “very heavy” water leakage in various areas of its ceiling, that were like “waterfalls”, on Saturday last week.
With the rain subsiding on Saturday afternoon, the water leakage at the underground terminal became less intense, according to the media reports.
The underground terminal has three enclosed bus-waiting areas equipped with air-conditioning and two outdoor bus-waiting areas.
The Transport Bureau said in a statement on Wednesday night that due to the torrential rain on Saturday last week, water leakage occurred at “the connection points of the drainage systems” installed in the ceiling of the Barrier Gate underground public bus terminal, affecting its vehicular lanes and vehicle parking area.
The statement acknowledged that due to the water leakage, “minor” flooding occurred on the ground in the terminal at that time.
The statement underlined that the water leakage and flooding did not affect the underground terminal’s public bus service and passengers catching buses at that time.
The statement said that after the water leakage occurred last Saturday, the bureau ordered a contractor to carry out emergency examinations and repairs in the areas where the ceiling was damaged by the water leakage. The examinations and repairs were carried out last Saturday night, after the public bus service ceased operation for the day.
The statement underlined that the Transport Bureau is currently working with other public entities with the aim of carrying out more comprehensive examinations and assessments of the underground public bus terminal’s ceiling system, as well as the relevant necessary repairs to the areas identified by the assessments.
Revamped in 2018
After its closure lasting over one year, the Barrier Gate underground public bus terminal reopened in December 2018 after the completion of a revamp that got off the ground in March that year, which came after the terminal was severely damaged by floodwaters during the onslaught of Super Typhoon Hato on August 23, 2017.
Since its opening in 2004, the underground terminal had been affected by poor ventilation.
Before Hato pummelled Macau, the government was already planning to carry out a renovation project with the primary objective of improving the underground terminal’s problematic ventilation system. After the Hato-induced floods severely damaged the terminal, which forced it to close, the government revised the renovation’s design plan. Eventually, the government carried out a revamp that repaired the terminal’s equipment and facilities damaged by the Hato-induced floods and improved its ventilation system as well as various other systems.
This photo circulated on social media and published by public broadcaster TDM shows the water cascading from the Barrier Gate underground public bus terminal’s ceiling on Saturday last week.
Passengers get off a TCM bus at the Barrier Gate underground terminal yesterday. – Photo: Tony Wong
