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Editorial: High speed and professionalism

After 10 years of work, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications has announced that it will approve the opening of the High Speed Rail as early as Jan. 1.

The news has brought a mixed response.

The good news is that this marks completion of the world's largest build-operate-transfer project at a price tag of NT$640 billion (US$19.57 billion). The Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp (THSRC) overcame many difficulties in designing, funding and constructing the system, and there are many lessons that can be learned by the private sector and the government out of the experience.

Once the system becomes operational, it will take just 90 minutes to traverse Taiwan from north to south by land.

The bad news is that the ministry failed to follow through on recommendations by consultants from Japan's bullet train operators, Lloyd's Register and a local evaluation committee. Former committee members have criticized the ministry for not following through on each of its 33 recommendations.

Yang Yeong-bin (楊永斌), a professor of civil engineering at National Taiwan University, said the ministry had relaxed criteria for approving the project, and that he could only pray that all would go smoothly.

The ministry's failure to reconcile different opinions on operational risks has cast a cloud over its possible launch next week.

The Consumers' Foundation has now launched a campaign calling on the public to avoid using the new rail system until all safety concerns are addressed. Some pan-blue lawmakers have even called on Minister of Transportation and Communications Tsai Duei (蔡堆) to resign over his "failure" to guarantee the safety of the public.

Safety concerns should be a motivator for the THSRC to take greater note of safety matters and strive for improvement. But calls for the resignation of the minister are irresponsible given that no major problems have been identified.

The THSRC is costing NT$130 million every day, so any operational delay increases its financial burden. It is understandable that the THSRC is in a hurry to get services up and running, but it should also bear in mind that safety is paramount. While professionals may express different views on such matters, it is up to the THSRC to seek advice and make improvements, presenting the public with substantive safety reports that can earn their trust.

If any serious safety concerns remain, further delays are necessary given the speed of the trains -- any simple accident could turn into a terrible disaster. If this were to occur, both the THSRC's and the nation's reputation would suffer.

Having received the general approval of independent railway experts, the high speed rail service is about to change the way Taiwanese travel. Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) joined a trial run of almost the entire length of the line yesterday in an effort to build public confidence. Cautious optimism and professionalism should follow this gesture so that the service can provide Taiwan with a punctual, comfortable and safe alternative to travel by car and by air.
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