The consultation paper on the second phase of the Macao Light Rail Transit (LRT) System would be released in mid-2008, immediately after construction on the first phase on the project has started. The Secretary for Transport and Public Works, Mr Lau Si Io, revealed today when he spoke to the press after a meeting. Mr Lau said after preliminary analyses, the Government has concluded that the second phase is necessary for the territory. Last Friday, the Government kicked off a 45-day public consultation on the first phase of the railway system. In response to suggestion that construction of both phases could be carried out at the same time, Mr Lau said that this would bring unbearable pressure to Macao’s traffic, as the two phases would account for about 10% of Macao’s total roadways, and most of them were the territory’s main arteries with heavy traffic. Moreover, the road network around the new Border Gate Checkpoint building, which would possibly be a station for both phases, was heavy with traffic. Taking the forthcoming expansion projects of the new Border Gate Checkpoint building and the Border Gate Square into account, constructing the two phases simultaneously would be a big pressure on Macao’s transport network. On suggestions that the second phase should be built first rather than the first phase, Mr Lau explained that the first phase would cater for some densely populated communities in north-eastern Macao, so the Government opted to build this first. Mr Lau reaffirmed that the Government would continue to listen to public opinion regarding the LRT System.
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