《TAIPEI TIMES》Minister urges lawmakers to pass traffic bill

‘LIVING HELL’: Efforts to enhance road safety came under scrutiny after the US and Canada advised tourists visiting Taiwan to exercise caution when crossing roads

By Shelley Shan / Staff reporter

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Drivers who do not yield to pedestrians would be fined at least NT$6,000 if a proposed amendment to the Road Traffic Management and Punishment Act （道路交通管理處罰條例） is passed by the legislature, Minister of Transportation and Communications Wang Kwo-tsai （王國材） said yesterday.

The legislature’s Transportation Committee is next week to review the proposed amendment, which the Ministry of Transportation and Communications submitted in April.

“Personally, I hope the fine could be higher, and the amendment could be enforced as quickly as possible after passing a third reading at the legislature,” Wang told reporters on the sidelines of a seminar on road traffic safety technology and policy.

The ministry’s efforts to enhance road safety across the nation came under scrutiny after CNN Travel last week reported that both the US Department of State and Canadian government have advised tourists traveling to Taiwan to exercise caution when crossing streets, as drivers — particularly those operating scooters and motorcycles — do not respect pedestrians’ right of way.

The report came after an August feature by Taipei Times reporter Han Cheung about the dangers of being a pedestrian in Taiwan.

Both reports interviewed Ray Yang （楊威榮）, who returned to Taiwan after living in Australia for years and created a Facebook page called “Taiwan is a living hell for pedestrians.”

Taiwan lacks “pavements and consistent walkways,” Yang told CNN Travel.

Pedestrians are often forced to walk onto the street because sidewalks are often filled with parked scooters, blocked by lamp posts and transformer boxes, and obstructed by plants and signboards put out by shops, Yang said, adding that they often have to fight for their right of way with cyclists and scooter drivers as they walk on the sidewalk.

Covered walkways — also known as qilou （騎樓） — are not always easy to traverse as they are built with different surfaces and heights, he said.

Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Andy Chiu （邱臣遠） told a news conference yesterday that 2,293 Taiwanese had been killed in traffic accidents this year as of September, a 10-year high.

The number of people killed in traffic accidents could reach 3,000 by the end of this year if the government continues to disregard the problem, he said.

The government should aim to achieve a “zero deaths vision” through improving road design, promoting education on transportation and law enforcement, Chiu said.

Officials at the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, the Construction and Planning Agency and the National Police Agency should tackle rising traffic accident fatalities, he added.

Wang told reporters that the Ministry of Transportation and Communications and the Ministry of the Interior now require sidewalks to be built alongside new roads if pedestrians need to cross them.

“The lack of consistent walkways is a more serious problem on existing roads. We have also seen sidewalks being illegally occupied and drivers disrespecting pedestrians’ right of way. Our National Road Traffic Safety Commission will address these problems with local government officials,” he said.

On existing roads, the government has tried to build sidewalks and designate walking space when relaying asphalt, Wang said, adding that there is also room to improve in this regard.

The ministry would focus on cities and counties showing significant increases in traffic accident deaths and monitor road safety data in the next few months, he said.

新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES