《TAIPEI TIMES 焦點》 MRT line construction delay might drag on: Ko

By Sean Lin / Staff reporter

A protracted delay in the construction of the Minsheng-Xizhi line of the Taipei Mass Rapid Transit （MRT） system might not be resolved until a new governing party is elected in January, as completion of the project requires central government integration of the route plans submitted by Taipei and New Taipei city governments, Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je （柯文哲） said yesterday.

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Ko made the remark during a forum held with New Power Party Chairman Huang Kuo-chang （黃國昌） in New Taipei City’s Shijhih District （汐止）.

The MRT line, aimed at improving the commute of people travelling from Shijhih’s Shehou （社后） area to Taipei, is part of New Taipei City Mayor Eric Chu’s （朱立倫） “three rings and three lines,” a pledge he made when running for mayor in 2010 to construct several MRT and light rail systems.

Ko said route plans must be integrated by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications; otherwise “they will not connect,” giving as an example two planned stations, which he said would be only 300m apart from each other.

Referring to a branch line under discussion, which could see the MRT route extended to Keelung, Ko said that MRT projects should be overseen by a central agency, rather than being planned separately by local authorities.

“So, the problems surrounding the MRT line would probably be resolved after May next year, after the [presidential and legislative] elections. I very much look forward to the polls,” Ko said.

Huang criticized Chu and former Taipei mayor Hau Lung-bin （郝龍斌）, who shortly before the mayoral election on Nov. 29 last year attended what he called a “fake” groundbreaking ceremony of the MRT line, apparently in a bid to attract votes.

“Just after the elections, in early December last year, Hau rejected a report from the Taipei Department of Mass Rapid Transit Systems, saying the planned route was ‘immature,’” Huang said. “Still, Hau this summer had the audacity to tell the media that he did not understand why Mayor Ko had stalled the project.”

Huang said the people of Shijhih had been tricked for so long by politicians that they become angry whenever they think of the project.

新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES