Directly-elected lawmaker-cum-unionist Ella Lei Cheng I, who chairs the Legislative Assembly’s (AL) 1st Standing Committee, said yesterday that her committee is currently reviewing the government’s road traffic amendment bill and discussing the feasibility of launching a driving licence penalty points scheme, involving the new government and legislature’s legal advisors, as well as taking into account the view of all stakeholders.
Lei spoke to reporters on the sidelines of yesterday’s Spring Festival lunch hosted by the legislature for some 130 local Chinese-, English and Portuguese-language media representatives at MGM MACAU in Nape.
Lei said that her committee has discussed the principles of the bill and submitted a list of detailed questions to the government, waiting for the government’s response before scheduling the next meeting to continue reviewing the bill.
As the recent spate of bus-related traffic accidents resulting in injuries has aroused public concern, Lei pointed out that the causes of each incident had to be analysed in depth, such as whether they were related to road design, including problems such as “unreasonable” positioning of zebra crossings and blind spots on bends, adding that if it was confirmed that any of the incidents was related to road design, immediate rectification should be made by the government to eliminate the potential hazards.
Lei stressed that apart from road design problems, there was also a need to step up road safety awareness campaigns, as she received reports from residents that pedestrians jaywalk on roads such as Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro (aka “San Ma Lou” in Cantonese), which was posing a serious danger to motorists and pedestrians alike.
Therefore, it was necessary to step up public awareness of road safety, especially for tourists unfamiliar with the road conditions in Macau, so as to raise the awareness level, Lei said.
Directly-elected lawmaker-cum-unionist Ella Lei Cheng I, who chairs the Legislative Assembly’s (AL) 1st Standing Committee, talks to reporters on the sidelines of yesterday’s Spring Festival lunch hosted by the legislature for the media, at MGM MACAU in Nape. – Photo: Ginnie Liang
