Getting around Macau’s Cotai district just became easier with the official launch of the Taipa to Cotai Light Rapid Transit system on Tuesday.
This section of the LRT runs 9.3 kilometres and links the Cotai casino resorts with the ferry terminal and the Macau International Airport via 11 stations, giving both residents and visitors an efficient way to get around the area.
The Macao Light Rapid Transit Corp Ltd has also declared that all rides are free until Dec. 31, 2019. The future ticket cost will be revealed later.
The budget for the LRT, which was beset with delays, rose from an estimated US$521 million in 2007 to around three times the amount, but likely below US$1.36 billion according to a government, speaking in July 2018.
Following the launch by Macau’s incumbent chief executive Fernando Chui Sai On, the first service set off at 3.33pm, from the Taipa Pac On ferry terminal.
The daily schedule, however, will run from 6.30am every day, closing at 11.25pm Mondays to Thursdays and 11.59pm Fridays to Sundays and public holidays, with trains arriving between five and ten minutes apart.