The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) would not rush through bills mandating transportation infrastructure development on the east coast before the legislature goes on leave in July, KMT Legislator Lee Yen-hsiu (李彥秀) said on Wednesday.
The party has proposed three bills that would require the government to expand the high-speed rail to the east coast, build an expressway linking Hualien and Taitung counties, and extend the east-west Shuishalian Freeway (Freeway No. 6) to Hualien from Nantou County.
The Democratic Progressive Party has criticized the proposal as a prohibitively expensive “money pit.”
Photo: Chang Chung-yi, Taipei Times
Environmental advocates have also expressed concern that the proposed timeline of 10 years would not leave enough time to conduct thorough environmental impact assessments.
KMT caucus whip Fu Kun-chi (傅崐萁) earlier said the party would seek to pass the bills before the legislature goes on leave on July 16.
However, media have reported that opinions within the KMT are split on the issue.
Lee, who serves as director of the KMT’s Culture and Communications Committee, confirmed in a radio interview on Wednesday that many different opinions were shared during internal caucus discussions in recent days.
Fu’s conclusion was that the caucus would respect the views of its members and adjust the order of priority accordingly, she said.
From their experience passing legislative reform bills last week, the new legislators have learned about the legislative process and are concerned about which bills are raised in which committees, she said, adding that if they are not introduced properly, the whole party would take the blame.
For the three infrastructure bills, many party members support first evaluating finances, feasibility and environmental impact before proceeding, she said.
Lee also criticized the rough cost estimate of NT$2 trillion (US$61.82 billion) given by the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics, saying it was unfair to Hualien residents to not properly evaluate the projects before giving a number.
However, party members agree on the importance of getting expert endorsements and holding discussions before passing the bills, she added.
Speaking to reporters at the Legislative Yuan on Wednesday, KMT Legislator Lai Shyh-bao (賴士葆) said it might take years to figure out the budget and estimate environmental impact of the high-speed rail and Freeway No. 6 projects.
However, the Hualien-Taitung expressway project has already been proven feasible by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications at an estimated cost of NT$200 billion, so it might make more sense to discuss the projects separately, he added.
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