The presidential candidates of three major parties in Taiwan, Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (鴻海精密) founder Terry Gou (郭台銘) and other parties yesterday signed a pledge to support and work toward “zero pedestrian deaths” by 2040 at a rally in Taipei.
The rally, called “Stop Killing Pedestrians,” was organized by civic group Vision Zero to urge the government to address the risks that pedestrians face in Taiwan, where more than 3,000 people die in traffic accidents every year.
Although the rally was disrupted by a sudden downpour yesterday afternoon, hundreds of people attended.
Photo: Lo Pei-de, Taipei Times
Chao Chia-ling (趙家麟), a professor of landscape architecture at Chung Yuan Christian University who has been raising awareness about pedestrian safety for more than 20 years, said the event was organized entirely by concerned citizens.
“I was surprised that a rally for the same cause that was held in Kaohsiung on July 22 was organized by high-school students,” Chao said. “I have been talking for more than 20 years and I was very frustrated, but now we have hope. All we want is for our children, and even our children’s children, to live safely in urban areas.”
Vision Zero presented its key appeals to the government, which included comprehensive facilities for pedestrians, new motor vehicle license tests, cracking down on motorists who do not yield for pedestrians and passing the draft transportation safety basic act.
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
“We urge the government to listen to our appeals, show determination to change the transportation environment and fulfill the vision of ‘zero pedestrian deaths,’” Vision Zero said.
The number of pedestrian deaths should be halved by 2030, the group said.
Gou said he was nearly hit by large vehicles twice in the past six months when he was walking at night.
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
Drivers need to stop, look and listen to ensure the safety of pedestrians, he said.
Representatives of Taiwan’s political parties all signed to support Vision Zero’s appeals.
Vice President William Lai (賴清德), the Democratic Progressive Party’s presidential candidate, vowed to thoroughly enforce the draft road transportation safety basic act and work with opposition parties and local government officials to improve safety at the 600 intersections where accidents most often occur in Taiwan.
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
“I also support the cause of reducing pedestrian deaths by 50 percent by 2030 and reaching the goal of ‘zero pedestrian deaths’ by 2040,” Lai said.
New Taipei City Mayor Ho You-yi (侯友宜), the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) presidential candidate, said that Taiwan’s transportation safety issues need to be tackled by changing regulations and urban design plans.
“The lack of adequate separation between pedestrians and vehicles has caused chaos on the roads. We pledge to fulfill the appeals and conduct a thorough review of traffic signals, signage and demarcations around the country,” he said.
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
Taiwan’s People Party Chairman and presidential candidate Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) said that Japan has a population five times larger than that of Taiwan, and yet Taiwan’s traffic-related deaths are five times higher than Japan’s.
“The current administration seems to think the way to address the road safety issues is to spend tons of money. However, it has generated only limited effects,” Ko said. “They should really look at numbers and address the fundamental issues.”
New Power Party Chairwoman Claire Wang (王婉諭) said the increase in pedestrian deaths was the result of the negligence of President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) administration.
“Vice President Lai should consider the consequences of having subscribed to wrong solutions ... and refusing to change policies in the past seven years,” she said.
Minister of Transportation and Communications Wang Kwo-tsai (王國材) was booed while walking onto the stage to address the rally.
He said it is his responsibility to create a safe transportation environment, and bowed and apologized for past shortcomings.
“I will respond to each and every appeal, and incorporate them into transportation safety policy. The draft road transportation safety basic act will address relevant issues from the Cabinet level and clearly lists the responsibilities of the central government,” he said.
AIR SUPPORT: The Ministry of National Defense thanked the US for the delivery, adding that it was an indicator of the White House’s commitment to the Taiwan Relations Act Deputy Minister of National Defense Po Horng-huei (柏鴻輝) and Representative to the US Alexander Yui on Friday attended a delivery ceremony for the first of Taiwan’s long-awaited 66 F-16C/D Block 70 jets at a Lockheed Martin Corp factory in Greenville, South Carolina. “We are so proud to be the global home of the F-16 and to support Taiwan’s air defense capabilities,” US Representative William Timmons wrote on X, alongside a photograph of Taiwanese and US officials at the event. The F-16C/D Block 70 jets Taiwan ordered have the same capabilities as aircraft that had been upgraded to F-16Vs. The batch of Lockheed Martin
GRIDLOCK: The National Fire Agency’s Special Search and Rescue team is on standby to travel to the countries to help out with the rescue effort A powerful earthquake rocked Myanmar and neighboring Thailand yesterday, killing at least three people in Bangkok and burying dozens when a high-rise building under construction collapsed. Footage shared on social media from Myanmar’s second-largest city showed widespread destruction, raising fears that many were trapped under the rubble or killed. The magnitude 7.7 earthquake, with an epicenter near Mandalay in Myanmar, struck at midday and was followed by a strong magnitude 6.4 aftershock. The extent of death, injury and destruction — especially in Myanmar, which is embroiled in a civil war and where information is tightly controlled at the best of times —
Taiwan was ranked the fourth-safest country in the world with a score of 82.9, trailing only Andorra, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar in Numbeo’s Safety Index by Country report. Taiwan’s score improved by 0.1 points compared with last year’s mid-year report, which had Taiwan fourth with a score of 82.8. However, both scores were lower than in last year’s first review, when Taiwan scored 83.3, and are a long way from when Taiwan was named the second-safest country in the world in 2021, scoring 84.8. Taiwan ranked higher than Singapore in ninth with a score of 77.4 and Japan in 10th with
China's military today said it began joint army, navy and rocket force exercises around Taiwan to "serve as a stern warning and powerful deterrent against Taiwanese independence," calling President William Lai (賴清德) a "parasite." The exercises come after Lai called Beijing a "foreign hostile force" last month. More than 10 Chinese military ships approached close to Taiwan's 24 nautical mile (44.4km) contiguous zone this morning and Taiwan sent its own warships to respond, two senior Taiwanese officials said. Taiwan has not yet detected any live fire by the Chinese military so far, one of the officials said. The drills took place after US Secretary