Former lawmakers urged the government to promulgate regulations that would ensure safety for children on roads near schools, as there is a lack of sidewalks and children often ride with their parents on motorcycles without suitable helmets or safety seats.
As of December last year, 14.54 million motorcycles were on the roads in Taiwan, Ministry of Transportation and Communications data showed.
However, compared with automobiles and bicycles, there are not enough regulations regarding safety seats on motorcycles and children wearing helmets, former New Power Party legislator Claire Wang (王婉諭) told reporters.
Photo: CNA
Officials cannot ignore that it is dangerous for children to ride on a scooter with their parents, Wang said, adding that the government should require parents to install safety seats and for children to wear helmets.
Taiwan does not have enough public transportation, resulting in parents having to use scooters to take their children to school, she said.
The government should take responsibility by developing national standards for children on motorcycles, she said.
Former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislator Yu Yu-lan (游毓蘭) said it is more common to see parents and children riding scooters in rural areas than in cities, adding that many do not operate the vehicles properly.
For example, it is not easy to find a proper child’s helmet, resulting in many not wearing them, which leads to more serious injuries in crashes, Yu said.
In addition to developing more convenient public transportation facilities to reduce reliance on motorcycles, the government should also improve road safety around schools, she said.
Many elementary-school students are forced to walk on the road because there is no suitable sidewalk, she said.
Yu said that she has been asking the government to introduce laws requiring sidewalks along roads near schools, but the transportation ministry and the Ministry of the Interior are worried about upsetting shop owners and losing votes.
The government should encourage elementary-school students to walk to school by developing a safe and friendly environment and encourage junior-high students to ride a bike or walk to school by creating bicycle paths, she added.
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