An average of just 12,000 passengers a day used Macao’s Light Rail Transit (LRT) system in March, down from 16,700 a day in February, the Macau Light Rapid Transit Corporation says.
It is the lowest figure reported since December of last year, when a daily average of 13,900 was posted.
Between January and November 2023, the figure never exceeded 9,150 and fell to as low as 3,550. During 2022, when Covid-19 pandemic restrictions were in force, daily usage languished in the 1,100 to 2,600 range.
[See more: What’s next for Macao’s LRT?]
The daily average has never bettered the 33,000 figure posted when the LRT was launched in December 2019. Rides were free for the first two months of operation, accounting for the higher volume.
The LRT’s operator is banking on network extensions to lure more passengers.
The Taipa-Barra extension opened last December, connecting Taipa to the peninsula by rail for the first time. The Seac Pai Van line has meanwhile started a trial run and should be fully operational this year.
