Transportation Infrastructure Office (GIT) Director Ho Cheong Kei said on Wednesday the government planned to release this month the results of its public consultation about the routs of the light rail transit (LRT) system in the city’s northern districts.
Ho made the announcement on the sidelines of a ceremony where he was sworn in as director of the office.
Secretary for Transport and Public Works Raimundo Rosario, who oversees the office, presided over the ceremony.
The newly appointed director said his office had completed reviewing the results from the 90-days public consultation and should be able to publish the results within this month.
Ho said the results were very divided, especially concerning the LRT route in Areia Preta. He said the government would listen to residents’ concerns and plan accordingly.
Ho also said the government still could not reach an agreement with the contractors responsible for the troubled LRT depot project in Taipa. He said that lawyers from both sides were in negotiations over the issue. Construction of the depot is behind schedule.
Ho said the government may have to resort to solving the problem through the courts, though it hoped to avoid doing so as litigation would further delay the depot project.
Ho also said that after the possible termination of the depot construction contracts, the government would re-evaluate the progress made so far to see if it needed to change any of the designs, and then hold a public tender for the restart of the construction project.
While he was unable to provide a time line for the completion of the LRT project, he said the main body of the construction in Taipa could be finished before the end of this year, which would be followed by construction of the station near A Ma Temple. The design of the station was slated to be completed in the fourth quarter of this year and a public tender for the construction project would follow, he added.
Ho did not comment on whether the LRT project’s budget had increased due to the delays. He asked the media to wait until after a re-evaluation of the project. (macaunews/macaupost)
