The Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, attends a plenary session at the Legislative Assembly to answer questions raised by Assembly members concerning Government policy and social issues.
The mutual recognition scheme of driving licences issued either by authorities on the mainland or by Macao is still under discussion. The Government does not have a schedule for implementing the scheme, due to the administrative procedures involved.
The Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, made the comments today during a question-and-answer session at the Legislative Assembly.
Mutual understanding and achievement of equal status for the two sides were fundamental to the scheme, Mr Chui said.
He believed the scheme would make things more convenient for the Macao public when doing business, travelling, or working on the mainland, especially in relation to young people taking part in the Government-led effort to integrate Macao’s development into major national strategies.
The Chief Executive issued on Monday an Executive Order to authorise the Secretary for Transport and Public Works – representing the Macao SAR Government – to sign an agreement on the mutual recognition of driving licences issued either by authorities on the mainland or by Macao.
Mr Chui stressed that the scheme was aimed at mutual recognition of driving qualifications, which was different from enabling mainland-registered vehicles to be driven directly into Macao, and vice versa.
Macao’s ratification of the Convention on Road Traffic – which has 110 member economies as signatories – had not boosted external demand for permission to drive in Macao, as most visitors were using public transport services and free transport available in the city.
Mr Chui said the Government believed the mainland-Macao recognition scheme would not create huge external demand for the right to drive in Macao, noting that there were four companies in Macao providing 120 light vehicles available for rent – the number representing only 0.1 percent of Macao’s total number of vehicles.
According to statistics, approximately 10,000 Macao residents obtained mainland driving licences in the period 2016 to 2017.
The Government had received a total of 20 opinions from members of the Transport Consultative Committee on the matter, since the scheme was proposed in October 2017.
Mr Chui reiterated the proposed scheme was – on the Macao side – the combined work of the Secretary for Transport and Public Works, and the Secretary for Security. It was not being pursued for any political purpose.