The Kaoping Bridge (
The fact that the Kaoping Bridge suddenly collapsed when there was no wind, rain or earthquake in the area was a blow to public faith in the integrity of bridges across Taiwan. According to a survey of Taiwan's 20,000-plus bridges by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications last year, 322 bridges needed to be "immediately rebuilt." The Kaoping Bridge was not listed among them -- an indication that Taiwan's bridges are fraught with danger.
Poor maintenance and illegal gravel and sand quarrying along the rivers erode the structural soundness of bridges. Because the government has sold quarrying rights to private businesses but not seriously cracked down on those who violate the regulations, businesses with criminal backgrounds have been free to dig as they please, causing rivers to change course and endangering bridges. Bid-rigging and the funneling of interests between government officials and businesses have also resulted in abrupt design changes and shoddy construction. On top of this is the poor maintenance that shortens the lifespan of bridges.
The Executive Yuan has ordered an investigation into the cause of the collapse, as well as safety checks on all bridges across Taiwan. Prosecutors have also gone to the scene to determine whether the collapse was caused by human error. However, the authorities concerned, namely the Kaohsiung County government, the Water Conservancy Agency (
In fact, environmental groups have long warned that the waters have exposed the support bases of the Kaoping Bridge. However, the highway bureau listed the bridge as safe in its annual check-up last month. Either the check-up was a sloppy one or a sudden major change occurred in the river, leading to the collapse. Hydraulic engineers have also warned that the bridge is in a dangerous state. Two hours before the collapse, a passer-by even called the highway bureau saying the bridge had tilted, but the bureau took no immediate action.
Taiwan is now in the midst of typhoon season and the threat of earthquakes is ever-present. The collapse of the Kaoping Bridge has heightened public fears about shaky bridges across the country. The government should quickly launch a complete check-up of all bridges across Taiwan, repair the shaky ones immediately and stop using those those that cannot be repaired immediately. In the long run, the government will also need to review its gravel quarrying policies. Importing gravel and restricting riverbed quarrying are both possible options. Local governments should also clamp down hard on illegal gravel miners.
Above all, the bridge collapse has again highlighted the root cause of such disasters: the bureaucratic shirking of responsibility and the shifting of blame. While fixing the collapsed bridge, the government should also work on its own staff and rid itself of bureaucratic habits. This is perhaps the only effective way to prevent future disasters.
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