Deputy Minister of the Interior Dong Jian-hong (董建宏) on Thursday said that his ministry hopes to propose draft amendments for regulations relating to electronic vehicle (EV) chargers in apartment buildings within three to six months.
Dong said the review of the regulations would take time, as the Architecture and Building Research Institute would conduct experiments to evaluate technical factors such as ventilation systems to ensure safety in underground parking lots
Dong said the Building Technical Regulations amendments in 2019 stipulated that new buildings need to reserve space for EV chargers.
Photo: CNA
Decisions regarding the installation, removal, repair or enhancement of charging devices in existing apartments should be determined by the management committee after obtaining a consensus in a unit owner assembly, in accordance with the Condominium Administration Act (公寓大廈管理條例), he said.
The ministry would continue to replenish fire safety equipment, conduct rescue training and discuss issues related to charger locations, building management and fire safety, as well as explore the feasibility of adding ventilation systems and fire compartmentation in indoor parking spaces to enhance safety, he said.
Regarding disaster relief and preparation, National Fire Agency Director-General Hsiao Huan-chang (蕭煥章) said that regulations mandating automatic sprinklers in parking lots have been enacted, with 338 units already installed and additional deployments underway, alongside comprehensive disaster relief and preparedness measures established by local governments.
As for the implementation of the fire safety regulations for EV chargers, Hsiao said the institute would submit the findings of its study of parking lot ventilation equipment and fire compartmentation studies within the year.
The agency would also discuss whether to conduct a pilot program on fire compartmentation in a public building, which would also be carried out within the year.
National Land Management Agency director-general Wu Hsin-hsou (吳欣修) said while EV chargers have been widely discussed by apartment management committees, the majority of the more than 40,000 apartments with such committees have yet to reach a consensus.
In response to a query about the existing rules stipulating that EV charges can only be installed if more than two-thirds of committee members agree, Wu said that discussions about lowering this threshold are underway, but safety concerns and car owner responsibilities must be clarified first, as the Executive Yuan insists on prioritizing safety standards before submitting any proposal.
The National Immigration Agency (NIA) said yesterday that it will revoke the dependent-based residence permit of a Chinese social media influencer who reportedly “openly advocated for [China’s] unification through military force” with Taiwan. The Chinese national, identified by her surname Liu (劉), will have her residence permit revoked in accordance with Article 14 of the “Measures for the permission of family- based residence, long-term residence and settlement of people from the Mainland Area in the Taiwan Area,” the NIA said in a news release. The agency explained it received reports that Liu made “unifying Taiwan through military force” statements on her online
A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck off Taitung County at 1:09pm today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The hypocenter was 53km northeast of Taitung County Hall at a depth of 12.5km, CWA data showed. The intensity of the quake, which gauges the actual effect of a seismic event, measured 4 in Taitung County and Hualien County on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale, the data showed. The quake had an intensity of 3 in Nantou County, Chiayi County, Yunlin County, Kaohsiung and Tainan, the data showed. There were no immediate reports of damage following the quake.
Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) is to begin his one-year alternative military service tomorrow amid ongoing legal issues, the Ministry of the Interior said yesterday. Wang, who last month was released on bail of NT$150,000 (US$4,561) as he faces charges of allegedly attempting to evade military service and forging documents, has been ordered to report to Taipei Railway Station at 9am tomorrow, the Alternative Military Service Training and Management Center said. The 33-year-old would join about 1,300 other conscripts in the 263rd cohort of general alternative service for training at the Chenggong Ling camp in Taichung, a center official told reporters. Wang would first
A BETRAYAL? It is none of the ministry’s business if those entertainers love China, but ‘you cannot agree to wipe out your own country,’ the MAC minister said Taiwanese entertainers in China would have their Taiwanese citizenship revoked if they are holding Chinese citizenship, Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said. Several Taiwanese entertainers, including Patty Hou (侯佩岑) and Ouyang Nana (歐陽娜娜), earlier this month on their Weibo (微博) accounts shared a picture saying that Taiwan would be “returned” to China, with tags such as “Taiwan, Province of China” or “Adhere to the ‘one China’ principle.” The MAC would investigate whether those Taiwanese entertainers have Chinese IDs and added that it would revoke their Taiwanese citizenship if they did, Chiu told the Chinese-language Liberty Times (sister paper
RSS