Newspaper reports say congestion on the Jhonghe (中和) Intersection of National Highway No. 3 (also known as the Formosa Freeway or, confusingly, the “Second Freeway”) will be significantly relieved following the opening of Provincial Highway No. 65 and the Tucheng (土城) Interchange.
The Syuejia (學甲) system in Greater Tainan was opened some time ago, and the Minsyung (民雄) Interchange in Chiayi County and the Tongluo (銅鑼) Interchange in Miaoli County will open soon. These projects are gradually forming a “convenient” system of an interchange every 2km or 3km. One can imagine how many people will be induced by this “convenience” to quit using public transport and drive their cars instead.
It is becoming more convenient to drive one’s car, and this has led to a fall in passenger volume on public transport. The companies that run public transport services have to make a profit too. When passenger numbers fall, so does their performance, so naturally they lose interest in running this kind of business. Service becomes less frequent, and this gives rise to a vicious circle as people are further deterred from using mass transit. As a result, the use of private cars grows rapidly.
At first glance, the government has succeeded in creating a convenient and wide-reaching round-island transport network, but at this rate how can Taiwan manage to cut its carbon emissions?
Another example of how policies are going backward is this year’s decision to halt services on the high-volume and highly efficient Kaohsiung Harbor railway. The authorities have decided to dismantle the railway line, which connects directly with the harbor, and convert it into a container-truck road.
How much cargo can a goods train carry, compared with road transport? Which one is more environmentally friendly, and how much more so? Any sixth-grader could tell you the right answer. So why on earth is the government abandoning an environmentally friendly railway, with its high transport volume — especially considering that this railway was already electrified — and replacing it with heavy trucks that will rumble through the streets of Kaohsiung, spewing black fumes wherever they go?
The authorities are also using the fact that the Kaohsiung mass rapid transport (MRT) system is underused to justify delaying construction of MRT networks in other places, but they have failed to thoroughly review the problem and create a well-integrated transport service.
How then are we going to get more people to ride on the Kaohsiung MRT? For example, people can hardly be expected to get off at the Cingpu MRT Station, which is not located near housing or shops, and then figure out their own way of reaching their destination.
The government should plan MRT systems and mass transport networks for all major conurbations. It should encourage city dwellers to get into the habit of using public transport. Among other things, this would help cut carbon emissions.
Beyond that, the government should plan branch railway lines that can offer an alternative to road transport. For example, a branch line could be built between the Fangliao (枋寮) railway station in Pingtung County and Kenting. That would allow people who want to visit Kenting to get there by fast and convenient rail transport and it would relieve the congestion that clogs the roads leading to Kenting on weekends and holidays.
The area around Kenting is a national park. Enabling people to go there by environmentally friendly and low-carbon means of transport would ensure that this scenic area remains well conserved and unharmed by human activity.
Teng Chih-chung is a director of the Railway Cultural Society, Taiwan
Translated by Julian Clegg
A recent report concerning a student who is suing his teacher posed the question in its headline: Does failing a student in two subjects constitute bullying? The college student in Chiayi County apparently sought NT$2 million (US$63,603) in state compensation, but a court dismissed the case. The first reaction of many might have been to ask: What has happened to students nowadays? Some say that teachers have lost their authority, while others say students are overindulged. Some even start reminiscing over the days when “whatever the teacher says goes.” However, the real issue might be overlooked if emotional reactions like that are the
When I visited Taiwan last summer, I called on the nation to use its status as a technology superpower to build superweapons. It is obvious to me as I return a year later that Taiwan is now answering that call. By 2030, Taiwan envisions a domestic drone hub, capable of producing large quantities of drones per year. The nation continues to tighten cooperation across the private sector, scientific researchers and the elected government, on creating new and innovative production avenues for defense, while efforts to become central to the “democratic supply chain” are only increasing. Anduril is seeing all of these positive
Singaporean former Prime Minister and current senior minister Lee Hsien- Loong(李顯龍) last month stood on Chinese soil and told Beijing that Singapore cooperates because of “shared interests”, not because of common “ethnic descent,” a significant statement that has upended China’s cognitive warfare tactics of “ethnic nationalism.” Along with using its military buildup and economic growth to expand its international dominance, China has long deployed ethnic politics to promote the idea that all ethnic Chinese around the world, regardless of citizenship, share a tight bond with the Chinese motherland, by which it means the regime of the People’s Republic of China (PRC)
Taiwan’s economic momentum, driven by demand for artificial intelligence (AI) products, remains strong, with booming demand for advanced semiconductors, servers and key components. In the first quarter, GDP expanded 14.55 percent year-on-year, the second consecutive quarter of double-digit percentage growth and accelerating from the 12.95 percent expansion in the previous quarter, the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS) reported on Friday. Net exports remained the dominant driver of growth, contributing 10.33 percentage points to Taiwan’s GDP growth in the first quarter. That came as exports rose 35.76 percent year-on-year in the first quarter, outpacing 26.34 percent growth in imports, the
RSS