The director of the Department of Railways and Highways (DRH) yesterday defended himself after being quoted in the local media as saying on Sunday that “being stuck in traffic was a kind of blessing.”
Chi Wen-jong (祁文中) said that his comments had been misunderstood, adding that he meant if one has to be stuck in traffic, instead of getting irritated one could think about the fact that having so many cars out on trips was a sign of an improving economy.
“A major reason for the jams in the Hsuehshan Tunnel was there were too many cars; another reason was there were a lot of breakdowns or minor accidents,” Chi said.
The accidents were mainly a result of motorists switching lanes or driving on the shoulder and cutting into the traffic lane in front of them, he said.
“When stuck in traffic, drivers should stay calm and follow the car in front of them, so that traffic will flow smoothly,” Chi said.
“While solving traffic problems is the responsibility of transportation authorities such as the DRH and the tourism bureau, motorists can try adjusting to the situation because the more agitated they are, the more likely they are to cut into traffic and cause accidents,” he said.
Asked if he would apologize for his statement, which drew criticism from a number of transportation academics and the public, Chi said he would apologize because the Ministry of Transportation and Communications had not done enough to prevent the traffic jams.
“I apologize that the traffic jams affected the public's mood during their travel,” he said.
“There is room for improvement. We will hold a self-evaluation meeting after the long weekend and welcome interested academics to take part in the discussion,” he said.
Chi said, however, that he could not take back what he had said.
Drawing from his own experience driving from Hualien to Taipei, Chi said: “I told myself that while traffic jams are bad, it's a good thing that there are so many cars on the road during the holiday. It means the economy has improved.”
An undersea cable to Penghu County has been severed, the Ministry of Digital Affairs said today, with a Chinese-funded ship suspected of being responsible. It comes just a month after a Chinese ship was suspected of severing an undersea cable north of Keelung Harbor. The National Communications and Cyber Security Center received a report at 3:03am today from Chunghwa Telecom that the No. 3 cable from Taiwan to Penghu was severed 14.7km off the coast of Tainan, the Ministry of Digital Affairs said. The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) upon receiving a report from Chunghwa Telecom began to monitor the Togolese-flagged Hong Tai (宏泰)
EVA Air is prohibiting the use of portable chargers on board all flights starting from Saturday, while China Airlines is advising passengers not to use them, following the lead of South Korean airlines. Current regulations prohibit portable chargers and lithium batteries from check-in luggage and require them to be properly packed in carry-on baggage, EVA Air said. To improve onboard safety, portable chargers and spare lithium batteries would be prohibited from use on all fights starting on Saturday, it said. Passengers are advised to fully charge electronic devices before boarding and use the AC and USB charging outlets at their seat, it said. South
Hong Kong-based American singer-songwriter Khalil Fong (方大同) has passed away at the age of 41, Fong’s record label confirmed yesterday. “With unwavering optimism in the face of a relentless illness for five years, Khalil Fong gently and gracefully bid farewell to this world on the morning of February 21, 2025, stepping into the next realm of existence to carry forward his purpose and dreams,” Fu Music wrote on the company’s official Facebook page. “The music and graphic novels he gifted to the world remain an eternal testament to his luminous spirit, a timeless treasure for generations to come,” it said. Although Fong’s
WAR SIMULATION: The developers of the board game ‘2045’ consulted experts and analysts, and made maps based on real-life Chinese People’s Liberation Army exercises To stop invading Chinese forces seizing Taiwan, board gamer Ruth Zhong chooses the nuclear option: Dropping an atomic bomb on Taipei to secure the nation’s freedom and her victory. The Taiwanese board game 2045 is a zero-sum contest of military strategy and individual self-interest that puts players on the front lines of a simulated Chinese attack. Their battlefield game tactics would determine the theoretical future of Taiwan, which in the real world faces the constant threat of a Chinese invasion. “The most interesting part of this game is that you have to make continuous decisions based on the evolving situation,
RSS