Macau (MNA) – The scrape of parking metres for motorcycles aims to encourage drivers to park in public car parks and to reduce traffic pressure, said the Director of Transport Bureau (DSAT) Lam Hin San on Thursday after a meeting with the Traffic Advisory Committee.
The DSAT head said the Macau SAR Government is planning and currently collecting opinions from the Committee to expand Avenida do Coronel Mesquita from two lanes into three lanes by cutting more parking spaces for motorcycles.
Lam said one of the three lanes could be arranged as a special lane for buses only.
Many residents and drivers living and working at Avenida do Coronel Mesquita have been protesting the cancellation of parking spaces, claiming that there are shortage of parking spaces in the area.
However, the DSAT said there are three to four public car parks in 300 to 500 metres around Avenida do Coronel Mesquita.
“There are several public car parks of which the usage rate of parking scooters is relatively low [in the city] such as the car park at the Taipa Central Park with the usage rate of 6 per cent and the car park at Iao Hon with 33 per cent,” argued Mr. Lam.
He said it is very hard to have a solution that could please all parties at once.
“What I can say is residents have to reflect upon the habit of having their vehicles parked right downstairs of their homes when the road is already having great traffic pressure,” the DSAT director remarked.
According to official information, the fee for parking motorcycles at parking metres is MOP2 for two-hour metres and MOP1 for four-hours metres, while the parking for parking at public car parks is MOP2 for daytime and MOP1 for night time.