For safety reasons, vessels more than 100 metres long will not be allowed to enter Macao’s fairways for the next six months, the Water and Marine Bureau (DSAMA) has announced.
The bureau has discussed the matter with the Guangdong authorities, and they agreed that due to the increasing amount of large vessels entering Macao’s fairways from the Xi River area in recent years, both will impose a ban on vessels that are over 100 metres long for six months as a trial run.
The DSAMA noted that every day, on average, 400 vessels enter Macao’s fairways, a quarter of which are over 80 metres long, while only 3 per cent are over 100 metres long.
The bureau added that due to the multiple construction projects in Macao’s coastal waters, especially near Governador Nobre de Carvalho Bridge, commonly known as The Old Bridge, the traffic in Macao’s fairways has become increasingly complicated. The DSAMAsaid that after the six-month trial run, the two authorities will assess the need to make further arrangements.
Vessels that are above 60 metres long or carrying hazardous items must communicate via marine radio before entering Macao’s fairways, and vessels must remain at least a half a nautical mile apart in the fairways, The Macau Post Daily reported.
