Macao’s public buses and trains will be operating late on 31 December and 1 January, as the city prepares for the countdown to 2026.
According to the Transport Bureau, the no. 21 daytime bus route will have its service hours extended until 1 am or 2 am on 1 January. Some of the nighttime buses will also see their service hours expanded, while the 51X and 25B (25BS) special route buses will operate from 10 pm on New Year’s Eve until 1 am on New Year’s Day. For more specific information about these routes, click here.
Macao’s Light Rapid Transit (LRT) system will also run beyond its normal operating hours during the celebration, with the network set to dispatch its last trains at 2 am on New Year’s Day. The operator also announced that starting from midnight on 1 January, it would test run a free one-hour Wi-Fi service for passengers in the Barra and Hengqin stations, with plans to gradually expand the coverage in the future.
In addition, the local casino operators’ free shuttle buses will be offering extended, as well as more frequent, services on Wednesday and Thursday to accommodate the strong demand for transport. For the latest information on shuttle bus schedules, check the relevant gaming operators’ websites or social media platforms. Information about the shuttle buses during Sands China’s countdown event can be found here.
Meanwhile, the Public Security Police (PSP) announced that traffic control measures will be implemented to make room for the countdown events scheduled to take place at Praça do Lago Sai Van and the Cotai Strip.
[See more: Here are the best New Year’s Eve events happening around the Greater Bay Area]
Multiple roads surrounding Praça do Lago Sai Van will be blocked off, including sections of Rua da Torre de Macau and Rua do Lago Sai Van, as well as Rua Sul de Entre Lagos, Rua Oeste de Entre Lagos, Praceta 25 de Abril and Rua 25 de Abril.
Sections of the Cotai Strip will face road closures between 11 pm and 2 am. They cover the area from Avenida da Prosperidade and Rotunda Flor de Lótus near the Londoner, and a stretch of road from Rotunda Flor de Lótus and Rotunda do Istmo facing the Parisian.
Meanwhile, roads around the Cotai Strip that will experience restricted traffic between 11 pm and 2 am include a part of Avenida da Prosperidade near the Londoner, an area on Avenida de Cotai situated around the Parisian, the side of Avenida do Progresso closest to the Londoner, and the side of Estrada da Baía de Nossa Senhora de Esperança facing the Venetian.
To secure the safety of revellers, the PSP said that it would conduct safety checks on all individuals entering concert venues.
Police remind participants not to bring large items, glass bottles, plastic bottles, thermos, canned products, flammable items, long umbrellas, selfie sticks or any other items that can be used as a weapon. No storage facilities will be provided at the countdown concert venues.
In the lead up to the New Year’s celebration, the commissioner general of the Unitary Police Service, Leong Man Cheong, and other senior law enforcement officials, conducted an inspection tour yesterday. The government representatives stopped by the Ruins of St. Paul, Macao Tower, Taipa Village, the Cotai Strip, Hengqin Port and other major areas with large crowds and festive events in order to ensure that the proper security measures were in place.
