The Traffic Consultative Council has backed the government’s proposal to increase public bus fares, the first since late 2008.
According to the proposal, residents and non-locals will be charged differently when using Macau Pass.
The Transport Bureau (DSAT) presented its proposal on the bus fare increase to the government-appointed council during a regular meeting of the council on Friday. DSAT Director Lam Hin San spoke to reporters after the meeting at the bureau.
Lam said that most of the members of the council agreed to his bureau’s proposal on an increase in bus fares.
The current bus fare system came into force in late 2008, according to which bus passengers pay a discounted rate when using Macau Pass.
Under the current bus fare system, all bus passengers pay fares ranging from 2.8 patacas to 6.4 patacas – depending on the bus route they are on – when using cash, while they only pay from two patacas to three patacas when using Macau Pass. Currently, pupils and students (holding the Student Macau Pass) pay one pataca for all routes, while senior citizens and the disabled (holding Macau Pass) pay 30 avos (cents) on all routes.
According to Lam, his bureau proposes that all bus passengers pay six patacas on all routes. The bureau also proposes that bus passengers using Macau Pass pay three patacas on regular routes and four patacas on express routes. Lam did not specify which routes will be express routes.
According to Lam, his bureau proposes that pupils, students, senior citizens and disabled persons will get different discounts. The bureau proposes that senior citizens will pay 1.50 patacas during peak hours from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., while the rest of the day they get to travel for free.
The bureau also proposes that pupils and students pay 1.50 patacas for regular routes and two patacas for express routes, Lam said.
Lam said that during the “second phase” of the proposed bus fare increase, non-locals would pay fares different to local residents’ when using Macau Pass. The bureau proposes that non-locals will have to pay four patacas for regular routes and five patacas for express routes.
The category of non-locals would includes non-resident workers (popularly known as blue-card holders).
Lam said his bureau did not have a timetable as to when the new bus fares will be implemented.
Civic leaders have criticised that non-locals, tourists in particular, can enjoy the same Macau Pass discount as their local counterparts.
Currently, the difference between the discounted fares (when using Macau Pass) and the full fares is paid by the government.
Passengers get on a bus in Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro yesterday. Photo: Tony Wong
