Delineating Different Waiting Areas
‘To improve the situation, I think the bus company can consider delineating different waiting areas for different buses to let passengers know where to line up,’ says Ng Ka I, a first-year student from the Faculty of Law, who often needs to wait for buses at the University South stop. ‘Maybe they can also erect a barricade and a gate where the bus stops, to ensure that people get on the bus in an orderly manner. Or perhaps they can paint some signs on the ground to guide people. ’
The Administrative Building stop is another busy bus stop on campus. Ng believes that many UM members are willing to line up at the bus stop but often don’t know how because there are no clearly marked waiting area and no signs. ‘Actually the majority of UM students and staff are very good. Only a few lack the awareness, so it’s necessary to remind them with some signs.’
Using Barricade and Signs
Dean of Students Paul Pang normally takes bus route 71 or 73. He is satisfied with the number and location of bus stops on campus. ‘The problem of not lining up for buses is not restricted to UM. It’s a universal problem in Macao,’ he says. ‘Macao has a high population density and relatively few roads. Every bus stop serves many different bus routes. These and various other unforeseeable factors mean that crowdedness and lack of order during rush hours are inevitable.’
As for how to improve the situation, Pang has three suggestions. ‘First, I think the bus company can erect some barricade and paint signs on the ground,’ he says. ‘Second, bus drivers should make sure to stop the bus at the correct location to prevent latecomers from getting on the bus first. Third, try to avoid rush hours if possible.’
