Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen’s (盧秀燕) decision two months ago to open the Taichung World Flora Exposition to all city residents rendered the 1.5 million expo cards that the city issued all but useless, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) politicians said on Friday.
Before getting unlimited free entry, Taichung residents could apply for cards that grant them one day of free entry to the expo and a 50 percent rebate for subsequent visits.
However, Lu campaigned on granting free access to all residents and honored that promise after taking office on Dec. 25.
Photo: Chang Hsuen-che, Taipei Times
The Taichung Transportation Bureau announced that residents could enter expo sites with a national photo ID, but rejected the expo cards, which lacked photographs.
The policy reversal was not well-received by residents who purchased the card.
A woman surnamed Chang (張) from Wufeng District (霧峰) said she was eager to see the expo, but was rejected at the entrance when she only had the expo card.
The cards are accepted by city buses as EasyCards, but Chang said she already owns two EasyCards and has no use for another one.
A visitor from Houli District (后里), who asked not to be named, said many residents bought the cards for their entire family and the mayoral transition should not have led to so much inconvenience.
In response, former city spokesman Cho Kuan-ting (卓冠廷) said that then-Taichung mayor Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) conceived of the cards as an experimental resident ID for city services, including free bus rides and municipal welfare subsidies, in addition to functioning as a ticket for the expo.
Lu’s policies thwarted a program that could have saved public spending by streamlining identification requirements across the city, he said.
During the campaign, Lin warned voters that Lu’s campaign pledge could cause a breach of contract with the International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH), who hosts the event, Cho added.
DPP Taichung City Councilor Chang Yu-yen (張玉嬿) said that the city government certifies the identity of expo cardholders upon issuance, so the cards should be considered valid proof of identity and accepted as expo tickets.
“It is ridiculous that the municipal government is treating 1.5 million city residents like thieves,” she said.
DPP city council whip Lee Tien-sheng (李天生) said that the municipality printed 3 million cards and the party would hold Liu accountable for squandering public funds.
Lin, who is now minister of transportation and communications, on Sunday last week said that the national government is willing to help Taichung resolve its differences with the AIPH, which has reportedly threatened to disqualify the city from hosting events in the future.
“It would be best if the mayor’s new policies do not interfere with the city’s pre-existing contractual obligations,” he said, adding that he still believes expo cards should be developed into a multifunction pass for municipal services.
Additional reporting by Liao Shu-ling
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