The Macau Transport Bureau (DSAT) announced yesterday that Macau has joined the mainland’s China T-Union public transport card system where Macau Pass has now issued a new version of its contactless smartcards, known as Macau Pass – China T-Union mCard, enabling their holders to take public transport across the mainland, in addition to, as holders of normal Macau Pass cards, paying for public transport rides and shopping in Macau.
An DSAT statement yesterday said that Macau has been able to join the system after the bureau’s communication and coordination with the Ministry of Transport (MOT) in Beijing.
The general version of the Macau Pass is also known as mCard.
In addition to public buses, ticket gates of Macau’s Light Rapid Transit (LRT) also accept Macau Pass.
The mainland’s China T-Union is a nationwide public transport card system, enabling its card holders to take urban public transport, namely public buses, urban rail systems, and ferry services in over 300 different cities in the mainland.
China T-Union is a contactless smartcard used for public transport issued by different cities in the mainland but with a “China T-Union” (“交通联合”) logo on it, enabling its holders to take public transport in other cities in addition to their respective own cities.
Hong Kong joined the China T-Union system earlier this year when its contactless smartcard operator Octopus started issuing its Octopus – China T-Union Card.
Yesterday’s DSAT statement also announced that public buses in Macau now also accept China T-Union cards issued in the mainland or in Hong Kong.
The statement noted that people-to-people exchanges and ties between Macau and the mainland are getting increasingly closer as Macau residents now travel to the mainland for work or sightseeing more often than previously while the number of visitors to Macau from the mainland has been increasing.
The statement said that Macau joining the China T-Union system aims to make it more convenient for Macau residents to take public transport in the mainland and for visitors from the mainland to use public transport in Macau.
The DSAT statement said that Macau Pass yesterday started issuing a new version of its smartcards, i.e., ones with a “China T-Union” logo on it, adding that their holders can not only take public transport in Macau – also with a discounted fare – but also take public transport in different cities in the mainland.
The statement also said that public buses in Macau yesterday started accepting China T-Union cards issued in the mainland or in Hong Kong, i.e., ones with a “China T-Union” logo on it. However, the statement said, for the time being holders of China T-Union cards not issued in Macau do not enjoy discounted fares when taking public buses here, meaning that they have to pay the full fares.
How to use China T-Union mCard
Meanwhile, Macau Pass released details about its newly issued Macau Pass – China T-Union mCard on its website yesterday, pointing out that in Macau, card holders can take public transport as well as shopping and dining at outlets that accept mCards, while they can take public transport in various cities in the mainland.
The same as the normal mCards, the Macau Pass – China T-Union mCards are sold at Macau Pass’s customer service centres as well as other outlets designated by the contactless smartcard operator.
A normal mCard is sold at 130 patacas comprising 30 patacas as the cost of the card proper and 100 patacas as the card’s balance used for payments.
According to the website, a China T-Union mCard proper is sold at 68 patacas which will not become part of the card’s balance used for payments.
According to the website, a China T-Union mCard comprises an e-pataca wallet and an e-yuan wallet. When taking public transport or shopping in Macau, the payments will be made from the e-pataca wallet’s remaining balance, while when taking public transport in the mainland, the payments will be made from the e-yuan wallet’s remaining balance.
A normal mCard can have a maximum balance of 3,000 patacas.
According to the details released on Macau Pass’s website yesterday, the e-pataca wallet of a China T-Union mCard can have a maximum balance of 3,000 patacas, while its e-yuan wallet can have a maximum balance of 1,000 yuan.
Details in both Chinese and English about the China T-Union mCard can be checked on: https://www.macaupass.com/news_detail/943
This image released by the Transport Bureau (DSAT) yesterday shows the front and back of the new Macau Pass – China T-Union mCard.
Passengers get on a No. 101X bus on Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro, the city’s main thoroughfare, yesterday. – Photo: Tony Wong
