The government-appointed Northern District Community Service Consultative Council held its monthly regular meeting yesterday, where various concerns were raised including traffic arrangements for the National Day Golden Week and Mid-Autumn Festival holiday periods.
The first part of the meeting was open to the media, during which the councillors raised various issues in their speeches. The meeting then proceeded behind closed doors. It included separate presentations by four officials, two each from the Public Security Police (PSP) and the Transport Bureau (DSAT), about the National Day Golden Week Transportation Arrangements.
The two-hour meeting was held at the Macau Government Service Centre in Areia Preta district yesterday.
Councillor Zeng Zengwei pointed out that the National Day holiday coincides with the Mid-Autumn Festival, from October 1 to 8, resulting in an eight-day holiday for visitors from the Chinese mainland. With tourists increasingly preferring public transport, Zeng suggested the government extend public transport’s operating hours and increase the frequency of public bus and light rail transit (LRT) services, while also strengthening oversight of the city’s taxi services, Zeng said.
Councillor Sio Hin Wa highlighted that bus routes serving the Qingmao border pedestrian checkpoint are currently scattered across multiple nearby bus stops, and there are no dedicated “casino shuttle bus” routes there. Sio urged the government to take reference from the arrangements at the Barrier Gate pedestrian-and-vehicle border checkpoint and proposed studying the feasibility of setting up a central bus terminal and coach drop-off/pick-up zone close to the Qingmao checkpoint, Sio said.
Zeng and Sio made the suggestions when the meeting was still open to the media.
In the regular post-meeting press briefing, the council’s deputy convenor Chan Ian Ian and councillor Chan Ka In underlined that the government has implemented a comprehensive traffic management plan for the Golden Week holiday period, coordinating its preparations across different government entities to be ready to handle the expected surge in visitors during the eight-day break.
They pointed out that the two local public bus companies will be reinforced with extra staff, special shuttle buses, and temporary routes – such as the 21AT and 26AT – while key areas including the Barrier Gate area, Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro and Macau Tower, will have crowd control measures in place. Additional night bus services will run earlier than usual on October 1 and 6 to accommodate spectators of the International Fireworks Display, both said.
According to the press briefing, the four officials said that residents should travel during off-peak hours whenever possible, while real-time traffic information would be available through mobile apps, digital signage, and information counters to assist public navigation. The Public Security Police and Traffic Bureau will monitor conditions closely and adjust transport arrangements dynamically to balance the needs of both tourists and local commuters throughout the holiday period, the two Chans said.
The dates of the 33rd Macao International Fireworks Display Contest are September 6, 13, 20 and October 1 (National Day) and 6 (Mid-Autumn Festival).
Northern District Community Service Consultative Council Deputy Convenor Chan Ian Ian (left) and fellow councillor Chan Ka In pose during yesterday’s press briefing after the government-appointed council’s closed-door meeting at the Macau Government Service Centre in Areia Preta district. – Photo: Armindo Neves
