The Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) announced in a statement on Friday that applications by eateries and bars for outdoor seating licences, also known as pavement or sidewalk licences, will be accepted on a pilot basis.
The application procedures started right away on the day of the announcement.
Outdoor seating facilities provided by restaurants, cafés and bars are also known as terraces.
According to the bureau, the measure follows consultations with the food and beverage sector, the Consultative Committee on Municipal Affairs, the community consultative committees of three districts, and various industrial and commercial groups.
New application requirements and operational rules were drafted after reviewing past practices and considering factors such as community environment and public life, with the aim of optimising the business environment for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the statement said.
The new rules include requirements on fire safety, environmental protection and hygiene, noise control, and pedestrian access, as the bureau stated that applications will be reviewed and approved together with relevant regulatory authorities, and that inspections will be stepped up once the respective outdoor seating facilities start operating, in order to ensure compliance with all the operational requirements.
The statement added that the new rules are based on the analysis of pavement cafés at “Anim’Arte NAM VAN” (“雅文‧湖畔”) and Pátio do Comandante Mata e Oliveira (南灣馬統領圍露), both in the Nam Van (Praia Grande) area, with provisions that include barring outdoor seating to open to the public between 9 p.m. and 9 a.m., banning loudspeakers and other sound devices, and requiring adherence to the “Environmental Noise Prevention and Control Law.”
The statement noted that outdoor seating operators must also maintain cleanliness and hygiene of the respective area and surrounding spaces, conduct daily cleaning, and properly remove stains and items after closing. In addition, safety guidelines have been set for operations during inclement weather, such as tropical cyclones and storm surges, to ensure public safety and hygiene.
The bureau stated it will continue to monitor the effectiveness of the pilot measure and create favourable conditions for the revitalisation of the community economy.
According to public broadcaster TDM, the bureau stopped granting outdoor seating licences in 2009. TDM also said that currently only 20 restaurants, cafés and bars are allowed to run outdoor seating.
In Portuguese, outdoor dining facilities are known as “esplanadas”. In English, however, an esplanade is a long, open, level area, typically beside a river, lake, or the sea, designed for walking, leisure, or public gatherings.
The guidelines on new applications for the Licence for Outdoor Cafes can be downloaded by going to the following link of IAM’s website (https://www.iam.gov.mo/adminAttachment.ashx?p=1,316).
This photo taken on Friday shows pedestrians dining in licensed pavement cafés in Pátio do Comandante Mata e Oliveira (南灣馬統領圍露) in the Nam Van. – Photo: Armindo Neves
