《TAIPEI TIMES》Taiwan to invest NT$5.77bn in cycling paths

By Cheng Wei-chi and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writer

The government is to allocate about NT$5.77 billion （US$184 million） over three years to build bicycle paths nationwide to boost Taiwan’s profile as an international destination for cycling enthusiasts, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday.

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The ministry announced the plan as Minister of Transportation and Communications Wang Kwo-tsai （王國材）, accompanied by ministry officials and cycling industry representatives, embarked on a six-day round-the-island relay to obtain first-hand experience on the state of biking paths nationwide ahead of the project’s implementation.

Wang said he would only be able to join the ride through New Taipei City’s Yingge District （鶯歌） and another section in Pingtung County, as he has to attend a meeting at the Legislative Yuan on Tuesday next week.

The bike routes must appeal to Taiwanese as well as cyclists from abroad, he said.

A seminar is to be held on the last day of the tour to discuss what needs to be improved, and the NT$5.77 billion would go toward financing improvements.

The ministry completed the No. 1 Round-island Biking Path and 25 other adjunct paths from 2015 to 2020, but has found that parts of the route still need to be connected to make it contiguous, he said.

The ministry had enacted a project from 2020 to last year that focused on increasing route safety and user-friendliness, resulting in 16 family-friendly side routes and a step in connecting the biking routes, he said.

Railways, footpaths and cycling paths are all key facets to encourage low-carbon tourism, Tourism Administration Director-General Chou Yung-hui （周永暉） said.

The agency has launched a number of activities in tandem with the ministry’s six-day tour to promote alternative methods for conducting nationwide trips, he added.

It is also looking to introduce more events tailored to the June 3 World Bicycle Day to attract more international cyclists to Taiwan, he said.

There would be two waves of events, the first taking place from June to September and the second from September to November, he added.

Chou said he hoped that cyclists visiting Taiwan would not only take a round-the-island tour, but also visit other cycling routes such as Sun Moon Lake, Dapengwan （大鵬灣） and Penghu County.

新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES