Minister of Transportation and Communications Wang Kwo-tsai (王國材) on Friday renewed the government’s commitment to developing cycling tourism in Taiwan to mark World Bicycle Day.
Wang made the remark at a news conference held by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications in Taipei. Members of the ministerial task force on cycling infrastructure and industry representatives also attended the event.
Taiwan has the potential to host a superb cycling infrastructure that is beneficial for tourism and necessary to meet the government’s 2050 net-zero emmissions targets, he said.
The policy focus of the ministry in the past few years has been to make improvements to the cycling environment and build additional bike routes, he said, adding that Taiwan Cycling Route No. 1 and its 25 secondary routes were the result of the ministry’s efforts.
The ministry in 2020 launched a NT$2.8 billion (US$95.28 million) program to improve the country’s bicycle routes and integrate them into a network spanning the nation by 2024, he said.
The program has yielded preliminary results in the form of 16 new routes running through 13 national scenic areas, including several in Taiwan’s outlying islands, he said.
These routes were built to emphasize each locality’s natural scenery and be accessible via high-speed or regular rail, he said.
The government is confident that its effort to promote cycling is being recognized by the public, he said, adding: “We look forward to continued public-private cooperation to make Taiwan the best cycling tourism designation in the world.”
Giant Group founder King Liu (劉金標) and YouBike Co chairwoman Vicky Liu (劉麗珠) were respectively presented with the World Bicycle Day award for lifetime achievement, and the World Bicycle Day award for leadership and outstanding achievement.
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