The government would use all available resources to help the nation’s two largest airlines weather a crisis caused by COVID-19, Minister of Transportation and Communications Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday.
The Executive Yuan last week approved a budget of about NT$16.85 billion (US$560.96 million) proposed by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications to bail out and boost the nation’s tourism industry and transport businesses, which have been severely affected by the global coronavirus epidemic.
However, there have been concerns that the budget might not be sufficient to cover all of the financial losses sustained by travel agencies and airlines.
Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times
In addition to the budget, which was appropriated under the Special Act on COVID-19 Prevention, Relief and Restoration (嚴重特殊傳染性肺炎防治及紓困振興特別條例), the Civil Aeronautics Administration and the Tourism Bureau have their own operational funds, Lin said before a meeting of the Legislative Yuan’s Transportation Committee.
The ministry would consider increasing the relief budget if there are not enough funds, he said, adding that priority should be based on the public interest.
About NT$4.2 billion of the budget would be used to support the nation’s two largest carriers — China Airlines and EVA Airways — which were forced to cancel scores of flights due to the outbreak, as well as duty-free shops in airports, Lin said.
The government would also reduce royalties, aircraft landing fees and other charges, he said, adding that the shortage in revenue would be compensated by the fund.
“They [the airlines] represent the nation. We should exhaust all possible means to support them under such a challenging situation,” Lin said.
“We also hope that they will hang in there, and not ask travel agencies and travelers to share their losses,” he said.
“Should the global COVID-19 outbreak persist, we will recommend that the government prepare a special bailout package for airlines,” he added.
Asked about the ministry’s plan to transport Taiwanese returning to the nation for next month’s Tomb Sweeping Day holiday, Lin said that the government yesterday launched a special taxi service at airports to ensure that public transportation does not become a hole in disease-prevention efforts.
This would help to more effectively control the flow of arriving travelers, particularly those from China, Hong Kong, Macau, South Korea, Italy and Iran, he said.
The service would ensure that travelers quickly arrive at their homes and begin a mandatory 14-day home quarantine after signing a health declaration or home quarantine notice, he added.
Lin expressed support for Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp’s (THSRC) decision to cancel all non-reserved seating during the holiday and to require all passengers to reserve seats under their real names.
The measures would help to prevent the spread of the virus, particularly in peak hours, when there is a lot of foot traffic in and out of high-speed rail stations, he said.
THSRC yesterday announced that it would install a total of 12 infrared thermal scanners at Taipei, Taoyuan, Taichung and Zuoying stations before the holiday.
Two in Taoyuan have begun operations, it said.
The ministry has also already discussed allowing ministry officials to work remotely and breaking down big meetings into smaller ones should the disease continue to spread, with video conferencing an option if necessary, Lin said.
The military has spotted two Chinese warships operating in waters near Penghu County in the Taiwan Strait and sent its own naval and air forces to monitor the vessels, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) said. Beijing sends warships and warplanes into the waters and skies around Taiwan on an almost daily basis, drawing condemnation from Taipei. While the ministry offers daily updates on the locations of Chinese military aircraft, it only rarely gives details of where Chinese warships are operating, generally only when it detects aircraft carriers, as happened last week. A Chinese destroyer and a frigate entered waters to the southwest
A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck off the coast of Yilan County at 8:39pm tonight, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, with no immediate reports of damage or injuries. The epicenter was 38.7km east-northeast of Yilan County Hall at a focal depth of 98.3km, the CWA’s Seismological Center said. The quake’s maximum intensity, which gauges the actual physical effect of a seismic event, was a level 4 on Taiwan’s 7-tier intensity scale, the center said. That intensity level was recorded in Yilan County’s Nanao Township (南澳), Hsinchu County’s Guansi Township (關西), Nantou County’s Hehuanshan (合歡山) and Hualien County’s Yanliao (鹽寮). An intensity of 3 was
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s comment last year on Tokyo’s potential reaction to a Taiwan-China conflict has forced Beijing to rewrite its invasion plans, a retired Japanese general said. Takaichi told the Diet on Nov. 7 last year that a Chinese naval blockade or military attack on Taiwan could constitute a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan, potentially allowing Tokyo to exercise its right to collective self-defense. Former Japan Ground Self-Defense Force general Kiyofumi Ogawa said in a recent speech that the remark has been interpreted as meaning Japan could intervene in the early stages of a Taiwan Strait conflict, undermining China’s previous assumptions
Taiwan Railways Corp (TRC) today announced that Shin Kong Mitsukoshi has been selected as the preferred bidder to operate the Taipei Railway Station shopping mall, replacing the current operator, Breeze Development Co Ltd. Among eight qualified firms that delivered presentations and were evaluated by a review committee, Shin Kong Mitsukoshi was ranked first, while Breeze was named the runner-up, the rail company said in a statement. Contract negotiations are to proceed in accordance with regulations, it said, adding that if negotiations with the top bidder fail, it could invite the second-ranked applicant to enter talks. Breeze in a statement today expressed doubts over
RSS