A number of traffic accidents that happened a while ago broke people’s hearts, and people started talking about Taiwan being “a living hell for pedestrians.”
To deal with the issue, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications has released a series of measures to ensure pedestrians’ safety. These measures have been applied since June 30.
However, shortly after the new rules had been implemented, several video clips revealing some pedestrians’ bad behavior were posted on the Internet. In these clips, some pedestrians were staring at their phones with their heads down when crossing the road; others were deliberately walking at a much slower pace; others still were intentionally standing on the crosswalk without moving forward. Due to these bad manners, the public started to believe that the new traffic measures would not work, and the “pedestrian first” rules would only cause more traffic problems and accidents.
For most of the time, I am a pedestrian. A month after the measures came into effect, I would like to share my feelings about the rules.
When I cross the road these days, almost every car lets me pass first. Before the new measures, I would be intimidated by scooters coming so close toward me, but over the past month, this did not happen as frequently as before. Most drivers abided by rules and stopped before a crosswalk. This means a lot for pedestrians, who feel much safer than before.
I do not have any concrete data proving that the number of traffic accidents has decreased, but I have personally experienced that pedestrians’ rights are now valued more highly. When I cross the road at a quicker pace, I always nod to show my gratitude to drivers who give way, and most of them respond to my gesture. This behavior is mutual, which would allow both sides to feel respected and loved.
I also hope that all pedestrians can be more focused instead of checking their phones on the crosswalk, and no one should waste drivers’ time on purpose. Doing this would protect the pedestrians’ own safety as well.
Ridding Taiwan of the notoriety of being “a living hell for pedestrians” is not an easy task. There might be a need to evaluate whether it is feasible to regulate pedestrian conduct or implement pedestrian-only signals.
However, at this moment people can say for sure that the government has made a good start.
Wu Tsai-fang
Taipei
Concerns that the US might abandon Taiwan are often overstated. While US President Donald Trump’s handling of Ukraine raised unease in Taiwan, it is crucial to recognize that Taiwan is not Ukraine. Under Trump, the US views Ukraine largely as a European problem, whereas the Indo-Pacific region remains its primary geopolitical focus. Taipei holds immense strategic value for Washington and is unlikely to be treated as a bargaining chip in US-China relations. Trump’s vision of “making America great again” would be directly undermined by any move to abandon Taiwan. Despite the rhetoric of “America First,” the Trump administration understands the necessity of
In an article published on this page on Tuesday, Kaohsiung-based journalist Julien Oeuillet wrote that “legions of people worldwide would care if a disaster occurred in South Korea or Japan, but the same people would not bat an eyelid if Taiwan disappeared.” That is quite a statement. We are constantly reading about the importance of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), hailed in Taiwan as the nation’s “silicon shield” protecting it from hostile foreign forces such as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and so crucial to the global supply chain for semiconductors that its loss would cost the global economy US$1
US President Donald Trump’s challenge to domestic American economic-political priorities, and abroad to the global balance of power, are not a threat to the security of Taiwan. Trump’s success can go far to contain the real threat — the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) surge to hegemony — while offering expanded defensive opportunities for Taiwan. In a stunning affirmation of the CCP policy of “forceful reunification,” an obscene euphemism for the invasion of Taiwan and the destruction of its democracy, on March 13, 2024, the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) used Chinese social media platforms to show the first-time linkage of three new
Sasha B. Chhabra’s column (“Michelle Yeoh should no longer be welcome,” March 26, page 8) lamented an Instagram post by renowned actress Michelle Yeoh (楊紫瓊) about her recent visit to “Taipei, China.” It is Chhabra’s opinion that, in response to parroting Beijing’s propaganda about the status of Taiwan, Yeoh should be banned from entering this nation and her films cut off from funding by government-backed agencies, as well as disqualified from competing in the Golden Horse Awards. She and other celebrities, he wrote, must be made to understand “that there are consequences for their actions if they become political pawns of