MGTO chief expects daily average of 100,000 visitors
The Transport Bureau (DSAT) announced yesterday a raft of temporary traffic arrangements for the National Day Golden Week, reminding the public that the stopping points of some bus routes will be adjusted on October 1-7, while also urging residents and tourists alike, in addition to planning their journeys as early as possible, to also double check the real-time traffic information in advance through the bureau’s “Macao Smart Go”, “Bus Location” mobile apps, the official DSAT WeChat account and its website to ensure a smooth holiday.
According to yesterday’s DSAT statement, next Tuesday and Wednesday no public bus routes will halt at the “Zona P/Passageiros-Este P. do Cerco” stop, but at the temporary stop next to the Police Tactical Intervention Unit (UTIP) headquarters instead. On October 3-7, as before the Golden Week, public buses will stop at the “Zona P/Passageiros-Este P. do Cerco”, which, however, will only be in effect before 8 a.m. and after 3 p.m., i.e., between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. the buses will only pick up and set down their passengers at the temporary stop near the UTIP headquarters.
“P. do Cerco” is the Portuguese abbreviation for the Barrier Gate checkpoint.
The statement noted that between noon and 8 p.m. every day during the holidays, the bus stops at “Rua das Estalagens”, “Rua dos Mercadores”, “Praia Grande / Si Toi” and “Av. D. João IV / R. do Comandante Mata e Oliveira” will be temporarily suspended, while temporary traffic control will be implemented at the “Rua do Guimarães” and “Auto-silo Pak Kong” stops, during which MT4, 26, 26A and 33 passengers, instead of getting on or off the bus at the two stops, can only use the nearby temporary stops installed at Rua do Visconde Paço de Arcos, next to Rua do Coronel Ferreira and Rua Norte, respectively.
The statement added that screening measures will be adopted, as usual, to divert the flow of people in the areas with the highest concentration of tourists, between noon and 8 p.m. daily on October 1-7, during which the junction of Rua do Dr Pedro José Lobo and Avenida do Infante D. Henrique will be closed and queues will be set up for passengers heading to the Barrier Gate checkpoint. Routes 3 and 3X will not stop at the “Almeida Ribeiro / OCBC” stop but at the temporary stop on Avenida do Infante D. Henrique, next to Rua do Dr Pedro José Lobo.
The statement pointed out that the city’s two public bus operators will deploy their staff members at the busiest stops to assist passengers, as well as closely monitor the situation at various stops, while also increasing the frequency of buses and provide additional special buses to divert passengers. The special bus routes Nos. 3BX, 17T, 21AT and 26AT will operate daily at set times. In addition, the special route No. 101XS will operate from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on October 1 (next Tuesday), while No. 25BS will operate from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. during the Golden Week.
The statement noted that this coming Sunday and Monday, appropriate locations will be reserved for hotel and casino shuttle buses at all border checkpoints, while between this Sunday (September 29) and October 7, the hotel and casino shuttle buses at the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge checkpoint will only provide point-to-point transport services.
Meanwhile, speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a public event yesterday, Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO) Director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes said that about 70 percent of the city’s hotel guestroom have already been booked for the National Day holiday, with an estimated daily average of about 100,000 visitor arrivals, adding: “If the weather is favourable and all the other factors are positive, the figure might be even slightly higher than the forecast”.
This file photo taken last month shows passengers waiting for public buses on Rua do Campo.– Photo: Tony Wong
