Projects to improve local transportation infrastructure and pedestrian safety would be stalled if the central government budget for the next fiscal year does not pass, Minister of Transportation and Communications Chen Shih-kai (陳世凱) said yesterday in an interview with the Liberty Times (sister paper of the Taipei Times).
The central government’s overall budget plan has been stalled by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), which are demanding that budget increases passed by the legislature earlier this year on logging compensation and agricultural pricing be incorporated into the budget.
If the budget does not pass, about one-third of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications’ (MOTC) NT$150 billion (US$4.68 billion) budget would be inaccessible, Chen said.
Photo: Wu Liang-yi, Taipei Times
“This would have a large impact on the public, as public transportation services such as local and interregional buses that rely on MOTC subsidies might not be able to run,” he said.
Many public representatives are concerned about ongoing local infrastructure projects, such as highway and provincial road maintenance, local subway systems and improving Taiwan Railway Corp (TRC), which all require MOTC funding and would be stalled if the budget does not pass, Chen said.
Chen discussed the ministry’s plan to repair and improve the TRC’s North Link Line that runs between Hualien and Yilan counties, which has suffered repeated damage from landslides and heavy rains following a large earthquake on April 3.
Reconstruction of Siaocingshui Bridge (小清水溪橋) is expected to be completed by the end of the year, allowing two-way rail traffic through the area, Chen said.
While this would improve rail operations, it is not a long-term solution, as the area is prone to landslides, he said.
The ministry is considering constructing an elevated railway between Chongde (崇德) and Heren (和仁) stations, which would allow landslides to flow underneath the tracks, Chen said.
In areas where elevated lines are not possible, a tunnel could be built to enclose the tracks to improve safety, he said.
The ministry’s plan to protect pedestrian rights and improve pedestrian safety, which includes improvements to 799 dangerous intersections across Taiwan, would also be stalled if the budget does not pass, Chen said, adding that this is a key topic of concern for the public.
This plan has a budget of NT$40 billion over four years, requiring annual allocations to local governments to improve intersections in their areas.
About 60 accident-prone intersections in Taichung, Chen’s hometown, are scheduled for improvement, he said.
“We have mapped out the project and plan to improve all 799 high-risk intersections by the end of the year,” Chen added.
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