Hundreds of motorcycle owners gathered in Anping (
The motorcycle tour kicked off with more than 500 heavy-duty bikes roaring from Taipei on their way to Tainan. Hundreds of other motorcyclists from various parts of the country joined them on the way.
"It's great. We've been waiting for this moment for decades," a high-spirited female motorcyclist was quoted by cable news network TVBS as saying.
By law, large-size motorcycles are defined as those equipped with a cylinder capacity of 550 or above.
Besides the right to drive on expressway, heavy-duty bike owners can turn left directly without having to pull over first to the right on an intersection to wait for the green light. They can also park in spaces reserved for sedans.
However, the policy allowing large-size motorcycles to operate on expressways nationwide, which took effect on Thursday, was not welcome news to some.
Karen Tseng (
"The traffic is only going to get worse with all these motorcycles on the road," she said.
Tseng was also against allowing heavy-duty motorbikes to use parking spaces for cars since it was already difficult for car owners to find parking spaces.
Joanna Hsu (
"If owners of large-size motorcycles were required to park in spaces designed for scooters, their motorcycles would not fit in and would take up two to three spaces for scooters instead," she said.
Hsu also expressed concern that some large-size motorcycle owners might think they could enjoy the privileges of both scooter and car owners.
For example, some large bike owners are likely to continue weaving their way through the traffic like scooters do, or may choose to stop at designated areas for smaller bikes while waiting for the light to turn green, she said.
Chen Li-yun (
He said he had heard complaints from other motorists.
He said one woman called and complained that she was so intimidated by so many large motorcycles on the road that she hit a rail on the side.
Residents living close to Taipei's Huanhe Expressway (環河快速道路) have also complained that they cannot sleep at night because of the noise from these large motorcycles, Chen said.
Owners of large motorcycles must learn to respect other motorists on the road and to exercise self-discipline.
"In the next six months, everything we [motorcyclists] do is going to be examined through a magnifying glass," he said.
"Everyone must be constantly reminded of his responsibility and follow the code of ethics for drivers," Chen said.
"If the Ministry of Transportation and Communications decides to take back our right, we will not have any ground to appeal if we continue to behave badly," he said.
Additional reporting by DPA
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is maintaining close ties with Beijing, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday, hours after a new round of Chinese military drills in the Taiwan Strait began. Political parties in a democracy have a responsibility to be loyal to the nation and defend its sovereignty, DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) told a news conference in Taipei. His comments came hours after Beijing announced via Chinese state media that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command was holding large-scale drills simulating a multi-pronged attack on Taiwan. Contrary to the KMT’s claims that it is staunchly anti-communist, KMT Deputy
RESPONSE: The government would investigate incidents of Taiwanese entertainers in China promoting CCP propaganda online in contravention of the law, the source said Taiwanese entertainers living in China who are found to have contravened cross-strait regulations or collaborated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could be subject to fines, a source said on Sunday. Several Taiwanese entertainers have posted on the social media platform Sina Weibo saying that Taiwan “must be returned” to China, and sharing news articles from Chinese state media. In response, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has asked the Ministry of Culture to investigate whether the entertainers had contravened any laws, and asked for them to be questioned upon their return to Taiwan, an official familiar with the matter said. To curb repeated
Myanmar has turned down an offer of assistance from Taiwanese search-and-rescue teams after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck the nation on Friday last week, saying other international aid is sufficient, the National Fire Agency said yesterday. More than 1,700 have been killed and 3,400 injured in the quake that struck near the central Myanmar city of Mandalay early on Friday afternoon, followed minutes later by a magnitude 6.7 aftershock. Worldwide, 13 international search-and-rescue teams have been deployed, with another 13 teams mobilizing, the agency said. Taiwan’s search-and-rescue teams were on standby, but have since been told to stand down, as