DSAT nightmare in Coloane

Hac Sa and Cheoc Van Beach visitors from Macau and abroad will now have a much more complicated journey from Club Militar, Lou Lim Iok Garden, Senado Square, the Red Market and the Border Gate from Zhuhai. As of last Saturday, DSAT, the transportation bureau in Macau made a change to the Bus 25 route and many residents are furious!
Prior to Saturday, Bus 25 was the only direct route from Macau to Cheoc Van and Hac Sa Beach. The new change will now have Bus 25 finishing its route in Coloane Village, leaving any tourists, visitors, and residents stranded as they wait for another bus to pick them up to complete their journey to the beach and for end-of-the-line Coloane residents to home. This change is not only sudden and inconvenient, but adds unnecessary delay to travel, in some cases up to 18-35 minutes, costing passengers an additional bus fare.
This change, while most certainly backed by DSAT data is a very odd decision. I would wager more tourists visit Hac Sa Beach than Coloane Village on a regular basis, especially in the Spring and Summer. Visitors take public transport because parking at the beach is limited. In addition to this, the volume of passengers to Hac Sa is at capacity from Taipa. Most Coloane dwellers can attest that it is almost impossible to catch any bus to Cheoc Van or Hac Sa Beach from Taipa to Hac Sa, Friday through Sunday and on public holidays. On these days, buses are often packed to capacity with passengers. During these high-volume days, it is not uncommon to experience four to five buses unable stop at bus stops because they cannot fit any additional passengers on board.
Since Bus 25 is the only bus with a direct route from the Border Gate to Macau’s beautiful beaches, it is not a surprise that buses are full before reaching Taipa. Residents of Hellene Gardens, the large multi-tower community in Hac Sa Beach with hundreds of residents, children, and staff, will now see the effects of the DSAT decision in full force, perhaps more than any other community. With the loss of Bus 25 to Hac Sa, this leaves only three main options – routes 21A, 26A and 15. Unfortunately, two of the alternatives are very small buses (21A and 15) and after 18:45, both decrease their frequency.
Message to DSAT: This change has created a nightmare in Coloane – please reconsider.