The government plans to invest NT$30 billion (US$972.4 million) to support the development of the electric-bus industry to help achieve its goal of having an all-electric bus fleet by 2030, Deputy Minister of Transportation and Communications Huang Yu-lin (黃玉霖) told an industry forum on Tuesday.
Huang did not say how the funds would be channeled.
The government hopes that international companies will partner with Taiwanese firms to overcome technical obstacles to the development of the electric-vehicle market, such as extending electric vehicles’ battery life, he said.
Huang was speaking at the International New Energy Vehicle Forum organized by the European Chamber of Commerce Taiwan, the ministry, the Industrial Development Bureau, the Environmental Protection Administration and the European Economic and Trade Office.
Developing intelligent transportation systems is one of the government’s major policies, along with promoting the development of e-buses as well as electric scooters and motorcycles, bureau Secretary-General Chen Pei-li (陳佩利) said.
The Ministry of Economic Affairs would continue helping automotive and spare parts makers collaborate with companies in the telecommunications, electronics manufacturing and mobile services sectors to create more innovative business models, Chen said.
It would also help automotive and spare part manufacturers transform and upgrade their operations to implement automation, Chen added.
In other news, the Danhai Light Rail Transit system is commemorating the 135th anniversary of the Battle of Tamsui, a major battle in the Sino-French War, with a history-themed train and collectible one-day passes, available from today.
A total of 1,884 limited-edition sets containing an embossed one-day pass and commemorative postcard are to go on sale for NT$99 at Hongshulin Station and on New Taipei Metro Corp’s Web site, the company said.
People who buy the pass would be granted free entry to an event at the station, where they can dress up in Qing-era clothing and have their photographs taken during the Double Ten National Holiday long weekend, the company said.
A light-rail train featuring illustrations of the battle is to operate through the end of this month, it added.
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