The Taipei City Government yesterday said it would launch a drive to encourage motorists to yield to pedestrians ahead of September’s Deaflympics, the biggest sports event ever to be hosted by the city.
To provide a safer environment during the Deaflympics, Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) urged residents to help make Taipei more convenient for people with handicaps and said the Taipei Police Department needed to clamp down on traffic violations.
The department will boost the number of traffic police on the streets to promote its drive. Drivers who fail to yield to pedestrians will be fined between NT$1,200 and NT$3,600 starting in July, Luo Shiaw-shyan (羅孝賢), commissioner of Taipei City Transportation Department, said yesterday at Taipei City Hall.
Luo said pedestrians had the right of way and motorists would be fined for failing to yield to pedestrians even in cases where the pedestrians are in violation of traffic rules.
The department will also impose tighter traffic control around the Taipei Arena and other games’ locations during the Deaflympics, he added.
The Deaflympics will be held between Sept. 5 and Sept. 15. More than 4,000 athletes from 81 countries are expected to compete.
Hau said that hosting international events was one of the best ways to increase a city’s visibility and that this year’s Deaflympics provided a great opportunity to promote Taipei’s image.
Hau said that traffic accidents involving athletes had been a problem at previous Deaflympics hosted by other countries and that residents should help promote Taipei as a friendly and civilized place by yielding to pedestrians.
Taiwan ranked fifth among all participating countries at the last Deaflympics, held in Melbourne, Australia, taking home nine gold medals, four silvers and three bronzes.
Meanwhile, the city said yesterday that Hau would leave for the US today on a 10-day trip to Taipei’s sister cities. Hau will visit San Francisco, Los Angeles and Seattle and seek cooperation with local high-tech companies.
Taipei has had sister city ties with San Francisco for 40 years and Los Angeles for 30 years. The mayor will also visit Cisco Systems, Intel and Microsoft to seek cooperation with the three companies on information and communications infrastructure in Taipei.
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