The Barrier Gate underground bus terminal will reopen to the public next month, Secretary for Transport and Public Works Raimundo do Rosario told lawmakers Wednesday.
The policy secretary participated in a plenary session in the Legislative Assembly’s hemicycle to discuss the issue.
The government had earlier said that the terminal would only reopen in 2019.
Rosario said that thanks to the joint efforts by both sides – government and public transport operators – it was now feasible that the terminal could reopen before Christmas.
However, Rosario admitted that the terminal would possibly only be fully operational by Chinese New Year (which falls on February 5 in 2019).
The terminal has been closed since severe flooding caused by Super Typhoon Hato in August last year, which has affected two dozen public bus routes that had to be moved elsewhere.
Rosario said the authorities were still assessing which of the bus routes would be moved back to the terminal. The government announced earlier this year that not all of the 24 bus routes would return to the terminal.
The reconstruction of the badly damaged terminal has a budget of 141 million patacas, according to the government.
