Transportation in Macau
Encyclopedia
Transport in Macau includes road, sea and air transport. Road
transport is the primary mode of transport within Macau itself, as there are no railways at present. The main forms of public transport are buses and taxis
. A light rail
system is currently being planned.
Modes of transport out of Macau include ferries to Hong Kong
and mainland China
from two ferry terminals, as well as helicopter
service to Hong Kong. International flights are available from Macau International Airport
.
Buses and taxis are the major modes of public transport in Macau
. Bus
services are frequent and inexpensive, linking the Macau peninsula
, Taipa
, Cotai
and Coloane
. Transmac
, Transportas Companhia de Macau
and the newly established Reolian Public Transport Co.
are the sole operators of Macau's bus services. Most hotels(four-starred or above) and gaming venues operate their own fleet of shuttle bus service between the Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Terminal
or Portas do Cerco (Macau's border to mainland China) and their premises.
Taxis are plentiful near the airport, the Hong Kong-Macau ferry terminal, and major gaming venues/hotels in the city though it is harder to get one during rush hours on the streets. There are two types of livery on Macau's taxis - one is a black body with cream color top (the black cab) and the other is yellow on the whole (the yellow cab). Radio taxis are available, and there are two hotlines for the black and yellow cabs respectively.
In order to enhance the quality of taxi services, such as eliminate the language
barrier between taxi
drivers and passengers, the Tourist Office has provided most taxis with a destination guide which includes the names of the most requested destinations in Chinese
, Portuguese
and English
.
The trishaw
, a hybrid of the tricycle
and the rickshaw, is a unique mode of transport in Macau, though it is mainly for sightseeing purposes but they were a type of mainly used transportation system before 1970s because of their cheap price. They can easily be found next to Hotel Lisboa and the Macau ferry terminal waiting for passengers.
There are currently no railways in Macau, but a proposal has been put forward to link Macau by extending the Guangzhou Railway (or, possibly, Guangzhou-Zhuhai Intercity Mass Rapid Transit
) to Cotai through Hengqin Island
. However, no decisions have yet been made so far.
In a few years time, the city of Macau will have a new mode of public transport, the Macau Light Transit System
, in service. The proposal is currently under public consultation and a decision will be made on the design route and its operation after the consultation ends. The Macau Light Transit System is a planned mass transit system, similar to the Singapore Light Rapid Transit
. The tracks will be a mix of elevated
guideways and underground tunnels, ensuring a dedicated right-of-way separated from road traffic. When completed it will serve passengers from the Macau Peninsula, Taipa island, the Cotai reclamation and Macau International Airport. The Government of Macau introduced the proposal to the public in October 2006, with a revised version announced in July 2007 after further adjustments and improvements had been made with reference to comments by the public.
works in the harbour and the maintenance of the boats, all trips have been suspended.
Currently, over 150 sea-crossing services are scheduled daily between Macau and Hong Kong, and the Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal, Macau serves as the major terminal for Macau's passenger traffic by sea. The route is served by high speed catamaran
s (with passenger capacity of about 400) and jetfoils (with passenger capacity of about 260) and the journey takes approximately one hour. There are also daily scheduled ferry services between Macau and Shenzhen
. At present the services are operated by TurboJET
(from Sheung Wan
) and New World First Ferry
Macau (from Tsim Sha Tsui
). Cotai Jet
also operates services between Taipa Temporary Ferry Terminal
and the Hong Kong – Macau Ferry Terminal, Hong Kong. Apart from the sea routes there are also regular scheduled helicopter services between Hong Kong and Macau, which are operated by Heli Express. The trip takes approximately 20 minutes.
A few years ago a new sea-crossing service was launched by TurboJET
which travels between the Hong Kong International Airport
and Macau. This differs from the above Macau-Hong Kong route since travelers who arrive in Hong Kong by air do not have to go through Hong Kong immigration's passport control and can board a direct ferry to Macau through a special transfer terminal within the airport. On the return trip, travelers can directly reach the Hong Kong International Airport
by ferry (a dedicated check-in desk for the service is available at the Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Terminal) and arrive at the airport without going through Hong Kong immigration's passport control, though airline check-in has to be done within the airport prior to boarding a plane.
A new ferry terminal, which is adjacent to the Macau International Airport
, is under construction and upon completion some of the passenger traffic by sea will be diverted to the new facility. It is expected to act as a major hub for passenger transfer between the Hong Kong International Airport
and the Macau International Airport.
, located at Taipa, serves as the terminal for Macau's international air traffic. It was inaugurated on December 1995 and has since established a number of regulars flights between Macau and major cities in Northeast and Southeast Asia, for example Bangkok
, Beijing
, Kaohsiung
, Kuala Lumpur
, Manila
, Osaka
, Seoul
, Shanghai
, Singapore
, Taipei
, etc.
Passengers who would like to enter mainland China by land can use the "Two Customs, One Checkpoint" service (or the AIR-TO-LAND Flow Express Bus - Two Customs, One Checkpoint) provided by the Macau International Airport. Passengers can request the "Express Link" service at the check-in counter of their respective airlines. When arriving at the Macau International Airport, they can simply follow the "Express Link" signs and board the Air-to-Land transfer. Passengers do not have to go through Macau's immigration and customs checkpoint until they reach the border of mainland China.
Owing to its relatively low landing fees and the business opportunities brought by the booming gaming industry in Macau, the airport has attracted several Asia's low-cost carrier
s such as AirAsia
, Viva Macau
, Tiger Airways
, etc. to establish regular flights between Macau and several major cities in Southeast Asia. As a result it has been gradually developing into a major hub for low-cost air travel within the region. Other traditional carriers, such as the local flag carrier Air Macau
, the Taiwanese carriers EVA Air
and TransAsia Airways
, and even carriers which operate similar routes from Hong Kong, are facing potential challenges from these newcomers.
Macau has 321 kilometres of public roads, three bridges (viaducts) linking the Macau Peninsula and Taipa, and a tunnel through the Guia Hill linking the Horta e Costa area and the New Port Area (NAPE). The three bridges are (from east to west) the Friendship Bridge (Ponte de Amizade)
; the Macau-Taipa Bridge (Ponte Governador Nobre de Carvalho)
; and the Sai Van Bridge (Ponte de Sai Van)
.
Unlike mainland China
, where traffic drives on the right, traffic in Macau and Hong Kong drives on the left. Roads are generally narrow at the heart of the city and parked cars are always found on both sides of the road. Traffic congestion has been a major problem throughout the day owing to the lack of efficient mass transit system and a relatively high car to population ratio.
Road
A road is a thoroughfare, route, or way on land between two places, which typically has been paved or otherwise improved to allow travel by some conveyance, including a horse, cart, or motor vehicle. Roads consist of one, or sometimes two, roadways each with one or more lanes and also any...
transport is the primary mode of transport within Macau itself, as there are no railways at present. The main forms of public transport are buses and taxis
Taxis
A taxis is an innate behavioral response by an organism to a directional stimulus or gradient of stimulus intensity. A taxis differs from a tropism in that the organism has motility and demonstrates guided movement towards or away from the stimulus source ...
. A light rail
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
system is currently being planned.
Modes of transport out of Macau include ferries to Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
and mainland China
Mainland China
Mainland China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term that refers to the area under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China . According to the Taipei-based Mainland Affairs Council, the term excludes the PRC Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and...
from two ferry terminals, as well as helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
service to Hong Kong. International flights are available from Macau International Airport
Macau International Airport
- Cargo airlines :The following cargo airlines serve Macau International Airport :*Air Macau*EVA Air Cargo*Shanghai Airlines Cargo*Singapore Airlines Cargo- Other Tenants :* Macau Customs Service...
.
Road
Macau
Macau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...
. Bus
Transmac
Transportes Urbanos de Macau S.A.R.L. , operates public transit buses in Macau SAR.In Mainland China, Transmac was known as Xinfuli, and it is operating in Xinhui and Wuhu now...
services are frequent and inexpensive, linking the Macau peninsula
Macau Peninsula
Macau Peninsula is the oldest and most populous part of Macau. It has an area of 8.5 km² and is geographically connected to Guandong province, at the northeast, through an isthmus 200-metre wide. The peninsula, together with the city centre of Zhuhai, sits on an island separated from the...
, Taipa
Taipa
Taipa is the smaller of the two islands in the Chinese special administrative region of Macao .- Geography :It is 2.5 kilometres from Macau Peninsula and east of the Lesser Hengqin Island of Zhuhai, Guangdong Province...
, Cotai
Cotai
Cotai is a 5.2 km2 piece of newly reclaimed land between Taipa and Coloane islands in Macau, that has not yet been assigned to any of the freguesias. The Chinese and Portuguese names are a portmanteau of the two islands, Coloane and Taipa....
and Coloane
Coloane
Coloane is one of the two main islands of the Macau Special Administrative Region, located directly south of Macau's other main island, Taipa , and east of Hengqin Island of Zhuhai in Guangdong province....
. Transmac
Transmac
Transportes Urbanos de Macau S.A.R.L. , operates public transit buses in Macau SAR.In Mainland China, Transmac was known as Xinfuli, and it is operating in Xinhui and Wuhu now...
, Transportas Companhia de Macau
Transportas Companhia de Macau
Sociedade de Transportes Colectivos de Macau is one of the bus operators in Macau .The company began as ferry operator in the 1950s, but did not enter bus operations until 1974 when a bridge connecting the mainland with Cotai and Taipa was finished.In late 2009, TCM was disqualified from a tender...
and the newly established Reolian Public Transport Co.
Reolian Public Transport Co.
- Reolian :Reolian Public Transport Co. is the newly established public bus service company in Macau under DSAT contract. Reolian is also the new bus operator that operates several bus routes in Macau, it started its services in 1 August 2011...
are the sole operators of Macau's bus services. Most hotels(four-starred or above) and gaming venues operate their own fleet of shuttle bus service between the Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Terminal
Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Pier, Macau
The Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal , also known as the Macau Ferry Terminal or Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Pier , is located in Porto Exterior, Macau Peninsula, in the former Portuguese colony of Macau, now a Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, near the reservoir on...
or Portas do Cerco (Macau's border to mainland China) and their premises.
Taxis are plentiful near the airport, the Hong Kong-Macau ferry terminal, and major gaming venues/hotels in the city though it is harder to get one during rush hours on the streets. There are two types of livery on Macau's taxis - one is a black body with cream color top (the black cab) and the other is yellow on the whole (the yellow cab). Radio taxis are available, and there are two hotlines for the black and yellow cabs respectively.
In order to enhance the quality of taxi services, such as eliminate the language
Language
Language may refer either to the specifically human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of communication, or to a specific instance of such a system of complex communication...
barrier between taxi
Taxicab
A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...
drivers and passengers, the Tourist Office has provided most taxis with a destination guide which includes the names of the most requested destinations in Chinese
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
, Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
and English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
.
The trishaw
Cycle rickshaw
The cycle rickshaw is a small-scale local means of transport; it is also known by a variety of other names such as velotaxi, pedicab, bikecab, cyclo, becak, trisikad, or trishaw or, simply, rickshaw which also refers to auto rickshaws, and the, now uncommon, rickshaws pulled by a person on foot...
, a hybrid of the tricycle
Tricycle
A tricycle is a three-wheeled vehicle. While tricycles are often associated with the small three-wheeled vehicles used by pre-school-age children, they are also used by adults for a variety of purposes. In the United States and Canada, adult-sized tricycles are used primarily by older persons for...
and the rickshaw, is a unique mode of transport in Macau, though it is mainly for sightseeing purposes but they were a type of mainly used transportation system before 1970s because of their cheap price. They can easily be found next to Hotel Lisboa and the Macau ferry terminal waiting for passengers.
Railways
Guangzhou-Zhuhai Intercity Mass Rapid Transit
Guangzhou-Zhuhai Intercity Railway or Guangzhu Intercity Railway is a dedicated, grade-separated passenger railway linking New Guangzhou Station in Panyu, Guangzhou, and Zhuhai Airport in Zhuhai, via Shunde, Zhongshan and Jiangmen, in Guangdong, China.- Overview :The railway has partly started...
) to Cotai through Hengqin Island
Hengqin
Hengqin Dao is an island in Zhuhai, a prefecture-level city and Special Economic Zone in the Guangdong province of the People's Republic of China...
. However, no decisions have yet been made so far.
In a few years time, the city of Macau will have a new mode of public transport, the Macau Light Transit System
Macau Light Transit System
The Macau Light Rail Transit is a proposed mass transit system in the Special Administrative Region of Macau...
, in service. The proposal is currently under public consultation and a decision will be made on the design route and its operation after the consultation ends. The Macau Light Transit System is a planned mass transit system, similar to the Singapore Light Rapid Transit
Light Rapid Transit (Singapore)
The Light Rail Transit , also known as the Light Rapid Transit, is the light rail component of Singapore's rail network, consisting of localised rail systems acting as feeder services to the Mass Rapid Transit network...
. The tracks will be a mix of elevated
Elevated railway
An elevated railway is a form of rapid transit railway with the tracks built above street level on some form of viaduct or other steel or concrete structure. The railway concerned may be constructed according to the standard gauge, narrow gauge, light rail, monorail or suspension railway system...
guideways and underground tunnels, ensuring a dedicated right-of-way separated from road traffic. When completed it will serve passengers from the Macau Peninsula, Taipa island, the Cotai reclamation and Macau International Airport. The Government of Macau introduced the proposal to the public in October 2006, with a revised version announced in July 2007 after further adjustments and improvements had been made with reference to comments by the public.
Others
The Macau Maritime Museum used to have two sailing vessels (which were based on the ancient "junk" form but were remodeled) serving for touring trips between the inner and outer harbours. Along the trip, the crew would introduce the general lifestyle and customs of the local boat dwellers. However, due to the land reclamationLand reclamation
Land reclamation, usually known as reclamation, is the process to create new land from sea or riverbeds. The land reclaimed is known as reclamation ground or landfill.- Habitation :...
works in the harbour and the maintenance of the boats, all trips have been suspended.
Sea
Catamaran
A catamaran is a type of multihulled boat or ship consisting of two hulls, or vakas, joined by some structure, the most basic being a frame, formed of akas...
s (with passenger capacity of about 400) and jetfoils (with passenger capacity of about 260) and the journey takes approximately one hour. There are also daily scheduled ferry services between Macau and Shenzhen
Shenzhen
Shenzhen is a major city in the south of Southern China's Guangdong Province, situated immediately north of Hong Kong. The area became China's first—and one of the most successful—Special Economic Zones...
. At present the services are operated by TurboJET
TurboJET
TurboJET is the brand name for the operations of the Hong Kong-headquartered Shun Tak-China Travel Ship Management Limited , which was established from the joint venture between Shun Tak Holdings Limited and China Travel International Investment Hong Kong Limited in July 1999...
(from Sheung Wan
Sheung Wan
Sheung Wan is an area in Hong Kong, located in the north-west of Hong Kong Island, between Central and Sai Ying Pun. Administratively, it is part of the Central and Western District...
) and New World First Ferry
New World First Ferry
New World First Ferry Services Limited is a ferry service company in Hong Kong. The company was established in November 1999, when it took over the 8 licensed ferry routes transferred from the Hongkong and Yaumati Ferry...
Macau (from Tsim Sha Tsui
Tsim Sha Tsui
Tsim Sha Tsui , often abbreviated as TST, is an urbanized area in southern Kowloon, Hong Kong. The area is administratively part of the Yau Tsim Mong District. Tsim Sha Tsui East is a piece of land reclaimed from the Hung Hom Bay now east of Tsim Sha Tsui...
). Cotai Jet
Cotai Jet
Cotai Jet is a company that operates high-speed ferry services between the Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macau. It is one of the three companies operating high-speed ferry services between the two territories - the others being TurboJET, and New World First Ferry...
also operates services between Taipa Temporary Ferry Terminal
Taipa Temporary Ferry Terminal
The Taipa Temporary Ferry Terminal is located in Taipa, Macao SAR. It is currently solely served by Cotai Jet for services from the Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Pier, Hong Kong in Sheung Wan, Hong Kong SAR and the Hong Kong China Ferry Terminalin Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon.The ferry terminal has two berths...
and the Hong Kong – Macau Ferry Terminal, Hong Kong. Apart from the sea routes there are also regular scheduled helicopter services between Hong Kong and Macau, which are operated by Heli Express. The trip takes approximately 20 minutes.
A few years ago a new sea-crossing service was launched by TurboJET
TurboJET
TurboJET is the brand name for the operations of the Hong Kong-headquartered Shun Tak-China Travel Ship Management Limited , which was established from the joint venture between Shun Tak Holdings Limited and China Travel International Investment Hong Kong Limited in July 1999...
which travels between the Hong Kong International Airport
Hong Kong International Airport
Hong Kong International Airport is the main airport in Hong Kong. It is colloquially known as Chek Lap Kok Airport , being built on the island of Chek Lap Kok by land reclamation, and also to distinguish it from its predecessor, the closed Kai Tak Airport.The airport opened for commercial...
and Macau. This differs from the above Macau-Hong Kong route since travelers who arrive in Hong Kong by air do not have to go through Hong Kong immigration's passport control and can board a direct ferry to Macau through a special transfer terminal within the airport. On the return trip, travelers can directly reach the Hong Kong International Airport
Hong Kong International Airport
Hong Kong International Airport is the main airport in Hong Kong. It is colloquially known as Chek Lap Kok Airport , being built on the island of Chek Lap Kok by land reclamation, and also to distinguish it from its predecessor, the closed Kai Tak Airport.The airport opened for commercial...
by ferry (a dedicated check-in desk for the service is available at the Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Terminal) and arrive at the airport without going through Hong Kong immigration's passport control, though airline check-in has to be done within the airport prior to boarding a plane.
A new ferry terminal, which is adjacent to the Macau International Airport
Macau International Airport
- Cargo airlines :The following cargo airlines serve Macau International Airport :*Air Macau*EVA Air Cargo*Shanghai Airlines Cargo*Singapore Airlines Cargo- Other Tenants :* Macau Customs Service...
, is under construction and upon completion some of the passenger traffic by sea will be diverted to the new facility. It is expected to act as a major hub for passenger transfer between the Hong Kong International Airport
Hong Kong International Airport
Hong Kong International Airport is the main airport in Hong Kong. It is colloquially known as Chek Lap Kok Airport , being built on the island of Chek Lap Kok by land reclamation, and also to distinguish it from its predecessor, the closed Kai Tak Airport.The airport opened for commercial...
and the Macau International Airport.
Air
The Macau International AirportMacau International Airport
- Cargo airlines :The following cargo airlines serve Macau International Airport :*Air Macau*EVA Air Cargo*Shanghai Airlines Cargo*Singapore Airlines Cargo- Other Tenants :* Macau Customs Service...
, located at Taipa, serves as the terminal for Macau's international air traffic. It was inaugurated on December 1995 and has since established a number of regulars flights between Macau and major cities in Northeast and Southeast Asia, for example Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
, Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, Kaohsiung
Kaohsiung
Kaohsiung is a city located in southwestern Taiwan, facing the Taiwan Strait on the west. Kaohsiung, officially named Kaohsiung City, is divided into thirty-eight districts. The city is one of five special municipalities of the Republic of China...
, Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
, Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
, Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
, Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
, Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, Taipei
Taipei
Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
, etc.
Passengers who would like to enter mainland China by land can use the "Two Customs, One Checkpoint" service (or the AIR-TO-LAND Flow Express Bus - Two Customs, One Checkpoint) provided by the Macau International Airport. Passengers can request the "Express Link" service at the check-in counter of their respective airlines. When arriving at the Macau International Airport, they can simply follow the "Express Link" signs and board the Air-to-Land transfer. Passengers do not have to go through Macau's immigration and customs checkpoint until they reach the border of mainland China.
Owing to its relatively low landing fees and the business opportunities brought by the booming gaming industry in Macau, the airport has attracted several Asia's low-cost carrier
Low-cost carrier
A low-cost carrier or low-cost airline is an airline that generally has lower fares and fewer comforts...
s such as AirAsia
AirAsia
AirAsia Berhad is a Malaysian-based low-cost airline. AirAsia is Asia's largest low-fare, no-frills airline and a pioneer of low-cost travel in Asia. AirAsia group operates scheduled domestic and international flights to over 400 destinations spanning 25 countries. Its main hub is the Low-Cost...
, Viva Macau
Viva Macau
Viva Macau Airlines was a Macanese long-haul, low-cost carrier based at Macau International Airport. The airline operated flights to Australia and Asia....
, Tiger Airways
Tiger Airways
Tiger Airways Singapore Pte Ltd, operating as Tiger Airways Singapore, is a low cost airline which commenced services on 25 March 2005. It is a subsidiary of Tiger Airways Holdings, a Singapore-based company, which is owned partially by Singapore Airlines...
, etc. to establish regular flights between Macau and several major cities in Southeast Asia. As a result it has been gradually developing into a major hub for low-cost air travel within the region. Other traditional carriers, such as the local flag carrier Air Macau
Air Macau
Air Macau Company Limited is the flag carrier airline of and headquartered in Macau. The airline operates services to 12 destinations in Mainland China, as well as regional international services, from its hub at Macau International Airport.-History:...
, the Taiwanese carriers EVA Air
EVA Air
EVA Airways Corporation "; ) is an airline based at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport near Taipei, Taiwan, operating passenger and dedicated cargo services to over 40 international destinations in Asia, Australia, Europe and North America. EVA Air is largely privately owned and flies a fully...
and TransAsia Airways
TransAsia Airways
TransAsia Airways is an airline based in Taipei, Republic of China . It mainly serves the domestic market but also has limited scheduled and charter international services to China, East Asia, and Southeast Asia destinations.- Name :...
, and even carriers which operate similar routes from Hong Kong, are facing potential challenges from these newcomers.
Roads and bridges
Ponte de Amizade
The Ponte de Amizade is a four-lane, two-way bridge in Macau that connects Macau Peninsula near the Reservatório and Taipa Island at Pac On....
; the Macau-Taipa Bridge (Ponte Governador Nobre de Carvalho)
Ponte Governador Nobre de Carvalho
Governor Nobre de Carvalho Bridge , also known as the Macau-Taipa Bridge , is a dual-lane two-way bridge connecting Macau Peninsula near Casino Lisboa and the island of Taipa at the northern slope of Taipa Pequena . It is the first bridge in Macau, to connect the peninsula and Taipa...
; and the Sai Van Bridge (Ponte de Sai Van)
Ponte de Sai Van
Ponte de Sai Van is a cable-stayed bridge in Macau inaugurated on December 19, 2004. The bridge measures long and is the third one that connects Taipa Island and Macau Peninsula...
.
Unlike mainland China
Mainland China
Mainland China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term that refers to the area under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China . According to the Taipei-based Mainland Affairs Council, the term excludes the PRC Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and...
, where traffic drives on the right, traffic in Macau and Hong Kong drives on the left. Roads are generally narrow at the heart of the city and parked cars are always found on both sides of the road. Traffic congestion has been a major problem throughout the day owing to the lack of efficient mass transit system and a relatively high car to population ratio.
Ports
- Macau Container PortMacau Container PortMacau Container Port is a small container port facility in Macau and located next to Macau International Airport.-See also:* Kai Ho Port...
, located at the Inner Harbour area on the west side of the MacauMacauMacau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...
peninsula. - Kai Ho PortKai Ho PortKai Ho Port is one of two ports in Macau and located on Ilha de Coloane.-See also:* Macau Container Port...
, located on the Ilha de ColoaneColoaneColoane is one of the two main islands of the Macau Special Administrative Region, located directly south of Macau's other main island, Taipa , and east of Hengqin Island of Zhuhai in Guangdong province....
(Coloane Island).
External links
- Macau Ferry Information
- http://www.dssopt.gov.mo/en/index.php -- government homepage
- City Guide of Macau
- Macau SAR Government Official Website
- Macau International Airport Official Website