Private eyes
A recent editorial (“Meaningless without enforcement,” Nov. 24, page 8) was spot-on and I agree that creating a bunch of regulations that police officers can’t meaningfully enforce is a waste of time. However, the solution is really just a few mouse clicks away.
Inspired by your fantastic article (“Taipei trash informants earn more than NT$1 million,” Sept. 16, page 2) which reported on two men who took videos of people violating the Waste Disposal Act (廢棄物清理法) and mailing DVDs of the footage to Taipei City’s Bureau of Environmental Protection to collect cash rewards, I propose the following solution:
Set up a government Web site where activists such as myself can create an account and upload videos of polluters, YouTube-style. These could be grouped under different headings, such as smoky scooters, drivers who idle for more than three minutes, red-light runners, riders without helmets, license plates with an expired inspection sticker and every other issue that activists are trying to stamp out. Note that these are all offenses for which a person can be fined and that frequently go unpunished.
I believe the trash informants’ project should be institutionalized so that more people abide by the letter of the law, activists and interested parties have a better way to participate, and income opportunities could be created for the disadvantaged. Heck, with all the smoky scooters in Taipei, even the guy selling The Big Issue on the street corner could make a killing doing this.
While riding my bicycle, I regularly use my camera to videotape smoky scooters and people who idle for longer than the recently mandated three minute limit while talking on their cellphones. With such a Web site, I could log in, enter the license plate number of the offending vehicle, date, time and location of the incident, and upload the video showing the violation. Officials at government bureaus responsible for enforcing these rules would subsequently approve each submission and assess an appropriate fine.
This would all be set up in an open and transparent manner, with members of the public able to enter their license plate number to see if anyone has reported them breaking any traffic rules. Inspectors could then run checks on each plate as they do an annual inspection to “dig up dirt” on each vehicle and encourage the owner to pay outstanding fines under threat of having their vehicle impounded. Once the fines are paid, the videos and data would be removed from the site.
Some might say: “What about my privacy?” and I would reply: “STFU. You are operating a potentially deadly vehicle on a public road that my taxes help pay for.” Taiwan is either a country that follows the rule of law, or it’s not. Helmets are the law, and a red light means stop. Violators should be prosecuted.”
Readers might think that my position on this issue is extreme, but I am tired of dodging red-light-running cars and scooters every day, whether cycling or walking. For drivers of smoky scooters, if you honestly can’t afford to get a new spark plug and an oil change, contact my organization, Idle-Free Taipei, and we’ll scrape together the NT$350 or so to help you out.
Torch Pratt
Yonghe
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