Wonderful Copenhagen
Having lived in Copenhagen before coming to Taiwan, I want to add to a recent article with suggestions on how to make cycling more attractive in Taiwan’s cities (“Copenhagen’s cycle paths become highways,” Nov. 30, page 6).
There have been efforts to increase the number of cyclists in Taiwan, but they have often not been very successful because they have lacked the comprehensive and systematic approach that Copenhagen has taken (“Lane a testament to incompetence,” March 26, page 8).
The three essentials that are crucial for any strategy to get people out of cars and onto bicycles are: Cycling has to be comfortable and safe; it has to be supported by a parking and repair infrastructure; and it needs to be part of a wider push for increased public transport.
To make cycling comfortable and safe it is essential that a significant amount of space is given to raised cycle paths that cannot be used by cars or scooters. Car and scooter use, meanwhile, will only decrease with more investments into affordable public transport that reaches all parts of the city at all times of the day.
Copenhagen also reduced car lanes and parking spaces, which is one of the most effective ways of pushing cars out of cities.
Second, there needs to be a sufficient number of safe parking spaces for bicycles everywhere. It is also essential to have repair shops and pit stops that tend to bicycle upkeep and the cyclists’ comfort.
Finally, these bicycle-specific measures have to be part and parcel of a comprehensive public transport strategy because most potential cyclists, myself included, will not switch to using bicycles unless the danger and pollution from private cars and scooters is significantly reduced, which includes ensuring that car drivers respect traffic laws, that public transport replaces most private means of transportation and that the remaining private traffic becomes electric.
All these things are ongoing in Copenhagen, where, as a cyclist, I never felt bothered by pollution and I always felt safe, as I knew that car drivers took care simply because they were used to the presence of cyclists.
By contrast, I rarely ever cycle in Taipei because it is just too uncomfortable and dangerous. This is a shame because I really miss the exercise and the freedom and speed of movement it afforded me in Copenhagen.
Copenhagen is achieving systematic change, where a car-dominated system is now being replaced by a public-transport system. The most important lesson is that all elements have to be implemented together because people will not make the switch to public transport as long as cars and scooters achieve the primary goal — getting from A to B — more effectively than the public transport alternatives.
Once public transport achieves this primary objective more cheaply, efficiently and safely, people will happily make the switch in large numbers, with great benefits to the urban environment, public health, and energy efficiency.
Piecemeal solutions will not be successful — see the Dunhua cycle lane disaster — but comprehensive, smart solutions will — note the case of Copenhagen.
Bruno Walther
Taipei
Having lived through former British prime minister Boris Johnson’s tumultuous and scandal-ridden administration, the last place I had expected to come face-to-face with “Mr Brexit” was in a hotel ballroom in Taipei. Should I have been so surprised? Over the past few years, Taiwan has unfortunately become the destination of choice for washed-up Western politicians to turn up long after their political careers have ended, making grandiose speeches in exchange for extraordinarily large paychecks far exceeding the annual salary of all but the wealthiest of Taiwan’s business tycoons. Taiwan’s pursuit of bygone politicians with little to no influence in their home
In 2025, it is easy to believe that Taiwan has always played a central role in various assessments of global national interests. But that is a mistaken belief. Taiwan’s position in the world and the international support it presently enjoys are relatively new and remain highly vulnerable to challenges from China. In the early 2000s, the George W. Bush Administration had plans to elevate bilateral relations and to boost Taiwan’s defense. It designated Taiwan as a non-NATO ally, and in 2001 made available to Taiwan a significant package of arms to enhance the island’s defenses including the submarines it long sought.
US lobbyist Christian Whiton has published an update to his article, “How Taiwan Lost Trump,” discussed on the editorial page on Sunday. His new article, titled “What Taiwan Should Do” refers to the three articles published in the Taipei Times, saying that none had offered a solution to the problems he identified. That is fair. The articles pushed back on points Whiton made that were felt partisan, misdirected or uninformed; in this response, he offers solutions of his own. While many are on point and he would find no disagreement here, the nuances of the political and historical complexities in
Taiwan faces an image challenge even among its allies, as it must constantly counter falsehoods and misrepresentations spread by its more powerful neighbor, the People’s Republic of China (PRC). While Taiwan refrains from disparaging its troublesome neighbor to other countries, the PRC is working not only to forge a narrative about itself, its intentions and value to the international community, but is also spreading lies about Taiwan. Governments, parliamentary groups and civil societies worldwide are caught in this narrative tug-of-war, each responding in their own way. National governments have the power to push back against what they know to be
RSS