The Macau Transport Bureau (DSAT) has ordered shuttle buses being used by Macau’s concessionaires to transport passengers between the Macau peninsula and Cotai to use the new Macau Bridge in order to divert pressure from the Amizade Bridge.
It had previously been rumored that DSAT wanted both shuttle buses and casino staff buses to travel to and from Taipa using the fourth cross-harbor bridge (Macau Bridge, which opened last month). IAG has since learned that this policy is now in place for most such trips.
A casino employee told IAG that the new route had recently been changed and that they expected this to save some travel time in the future.
In response to IAG’s inquiries, DSAT said, “To tie in with the opening of Macau Bridge, DSAT has co-ordinated the vehicles of gaming companies (the concessionaires) to take Macau Bridge as the route for their operation from the Border Gate and Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge to Cotai, so as to share the pressure of the traffic flow of the Amizade Bridge,” it said.
“It is learnt that the average travelling time of concessionaires can be cut by three to five minutes after switching the route of their vehicles to Macau Bridge.”
According to DSAT, peak traffic volume of Amizade Bridge has been reduced by about 10% during evening peak hours since the opening of the new bridge.