The Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) yesterday inaugurated Cycling Route No. 1 (自行車環島1號線), which gives people simple directions for biking around Taiwan.
Minister of Transportation and Communications Chen Jian-yu (陳建宇) said the main bicycle route is about 968km long and cyclists would be guided by signs and road markings along the way, adding that there are 122 designated rest stops where cyclists can acquire things they might need.
Chen said cyclists could complete a round trip in nine days following the set route. The journey can be broken up by using trains, with 11 transit railway stations along the route, such as Songshan Railway Station.
The Taiwan Railways Administration allows bicycles on board commuter trains, which have spaces dedicated for bicycles, as long as cyclists file an application at least 20 minutes prior to the train’s departure.
According to the Institute of Transportation, the main cycling route follows the nation’s highways. It begins at Songshan Railway Station and runs to the highways. To avoid sections of highway that are dangerous or have heavy traffic, cyclists are guided to special cycling lanes.
The institute said the rest stops have been set up every 10km to 20km and include township offices, convenience stores and simple bike stops.
Apart from the main route, the institute said there are 12 branch routes over that span an additional 235km, adding that five new branch routes would be added to the cycling route network.
WANG RELEASED: A police investigation showed that an organized crime group allegedly taught their clients how to pretend to be sick during medical exams Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) and 11 others were released on bail yesterday, after being questioned for allegedly dodging compulsory military service or forging documents to help others avoid serving. Wang, 33, was catapulted into stardom for his role in the coming-of-age film Our Times (我的少女時代). Lately, he has been focusing on developing his entertainment career in China. The New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office last month began investigating an organized crime group that is allegedly helping men dodge compulsory military service using falsified documents. Police in New Taipei City Yonghe Precinct at the end of last month arrested the main suspect,
A cat named Mikan (蜜柑) has brought in revenue of more than NT$10 million (US$305,390) for the Kaohsiung MRT last year. Mikan, born on April 4, 2020, was a stray cat before being adopted by personnel of Kaohsiung MRT’s Ciaotou Sugar Refinery Station. Mikan was named after a Japanese term for mandarin orange due to his color and because he looks like an orange when curled up. He was named “station master” of Ciaotou Sugar Refinery Station in September 2020, and has since become famous. With Kaohsiung MRT’s branding, along with the release of a set of cultural and creative products, station master Mikan
LITTORAL REGIMENTS: The US Marine Corps is transitioning to an ‘island hopping’ strategy to counterattack Beijing’s area denial strategy The US Marine Corps (USMC) has introduced new anti-drone systems to bolster air defense in the Pacific island chain amid growing Chinese military influence in the region, The Telegraph reported on Sunday. The new Marine Air Defense Integrated System (MADIS) Mk 1 is being developed to counter “the growing menace of unmanned aerial systems,” it cited the Marine Corps as saying. China has constructed a powerful defense mechanism in the Pacific Ocean west of the first island chain by deploying weapons such as rockets, submarines and anti-ship missiles — which is part of its anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) strategy against adversaries — the
Eleven people, including actor Darren Wang (王大陸), were taken into custody today for questioning regarding the evasion of compulsory military service and document forgery, the New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said. Eight of the people, including Wang, are suspected of evading military service, while three are suspected of forging medical documents to assist them, the report said. They are all being questioned by police and would later be transferred to the prosecutors’ office for further investigation. Three men surnamed Lee (李), Chang (張) and Lin (林) are suspected of improperly assisting conscripts in changing their military classification from “stand-by
RSS