Minister of Transportation and Communications Yeh Kuang-shih (葉匡時) yesterday said that he would seek to communicate with Taipei mayor-elect Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) on issues related to the construction of a direct rail line connecting Taipei and Yilan, adding that the government must consult environmental experts.
After a meeting on Sunday, Ko said he reached a consensus with Yilan County Commissioner Lin Tsung-hsien (林聰賢) to jointly push for a Taipei-Yilan rail line, adding that they would seek to build the shortest route — or “route A,” through the Feitsui Reservoir’s (翡翠水庫) catchment area — rather than “route B,” a curved path avoiding the environmentally sensitive area.
“We should look for a way to succeed, not excuses for failure. The decision [to take route B] is dodging the environmental issue; we should first try to see if the environmental issues can be solved. If they can, then we should of course choose route A. If they cannot, then we would go to route B,” Ko said on Sunday.
Environmental activists vehemently opposed the proposal, as Ko and Lin’s preferred route would pass through a primary source of drinking water for residents in the Greater Taipei area.
When asked by legislators about the issue during the Transportation Committee meeting in Taipei yesterday, Yeh said the central government chose the route that would bypass the reservoir’s catchment area due to strong opposition from the Taipei City Government, adding that the ministry is conducting an environmental impact assessment on the route that will not pass through the reservoir.
“The ministry will take into consideration any new idea proposed by the Taipei City Government and Yilan County Government. However, we must respect the opinions of the experts, particularly those who are experts in environmental protection,” he said.
The government’s route goes from Taipei’s Nangang District (南港) to Toucheng Township (頭城) via Dashi Township (大溪) in Yilan County and is about 53km long.
The route would shorten the travel time from Taipei to Yilan by 18 minutes, with the construction estimated to cost NT$49.1 billion.
The route selected by Lin and Ko is 36.3km and goes through the Feitsui Reservoir area.
The route would reduce travel time from 65 minutes to 39 minutes. Construction is estimated to cost NT$45.8 billion.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Lee Hung-chun (李鴻鈞) said he opposed the project, regardless of the route.
He added that the government’s route is not likely to be approved by the Environmental Assessment Committee either, as it passes through some ecologically fragile zones and mining areas along the way.
While the ministry estimated the cost to be about NT$49.1 billion, Lee said the government might not pull the project off even if it pumps in NT$100 billion.
Separately yesterday, outgoing Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) also expressed in a note posted on Facebook “strong opposition” to “any” plan that would put a railroad through the Feitsui Reservoir area, due to concerns the project could jeopardize the city’s water supply.
“It is extremely difficult to restore water quality,” Hau wrote. “Therefore, [on this issue] when it’s impossible not to choose between development and the environment, the environment should take top priority.”
Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) was questioned by prosecutors for allegedly orchestrating an attack on a taxi driver after he was allegedly driven on a longer than necessary route in a car he disliked. The questioning at the New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office was ongoing as of press time last night. Police have recommended charges of attempted murder. The legally embattled actor — known for his role in the coming-of-age film Our Times (我的少女時代) — is under a separate investigation for allegedly using fake medical documents to evade mandatory military service. According to local media reports, police said Wang earlier last year ordered a
President William Lai (賴清德) should protect Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), and stop supporting domestic strife and discord, former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) wrote on Facebook yesterday. US President Donald Trump and TSMC on Monday jointly announced that the company would invest an additional US$100 billion over the next few years to expand its semiconductor manufacturing operations in the US. The TSMC plans have promoted concern in Taiwan that it would effectively lead to the chipmaking giant becoming Americanized. The Lai administration lacks tangible policies to address concerns that Taiwan might follow in Ukraine’s footsteps, Ma wrote. Instead, it seems to think it could
A man in Tainan has been cleared on charges of public insult after giving the middle finger during a road rage incident, as judges deemed the gesture was made “briefly to express negative feelings.” In last week’s ruling at the High Court’s Tainan branch, judges acquitted a driver, surnamed Cheng (程), for an incident along Tainan’s Nanmen Road in September 2023, when Cheng had spotted a place to park his car in an adjacent lane. Cheng slowed down his vehicle to go into reverse, to back into the parking spot, but the car behind followed too closely, as its driver thought Cheng
DEFENSE: The purpose of the exercises is to identify strategies for the government to control risks during tensions, prevent war and bolster national resilience A tabletop exercise series has begun simulating possible scenarios if the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) launched a war against Taiwan in the guise of a military exercise. The exercise series is jointly organized by National Chengchi University’s Institute of International Relations, Taiwan Center for Security Studies and Asia-Pacific Policy Research Association. Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Chen Yeong-kang (陳永康), former American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) director William Stanton and Taiwan Center for Security Studies director Liu Fu-kuo (劉復國) attended the event in Taipei yesterday. Scenarios that would be simulated include changing political circumstances in the US during US President Donald Trump’s tenure
RSS