Scooter plan is important
A National Taiwan University professor criticized Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je’s (柯文哲) policy to reduce the number of scooters in the city on the grounds that as the wealth gap continues to widen, scooters become an increasingly important means of transportation for people with low incomes.
The professor said that the policy should not be implemented without careful planning.
Although what the professor said makes sense to a certain extent, scooter numbers continue to climb in cities and this causes serious problems. A responsible mayor should not turn a blind eye to this issue. Although it is a difficult problem to tackle, it must be addressed.
The number of scooters in Taipei continues to grow. Almost the entire city is covered by scooters, which not only make the city look messy, but also cause traffic accidents on a daily basis, leading to numerous injuries, deaths and great losses to families.
No one can deny that such high numbers of scooters in urban areas is a phenomenon that only occurs in underdeveloped nations.
Ko’s attempt to bring down the number of scooters is an arduous and mindful one. The professor and city residents should support Ko’s policy and come up with ideas to help make it possible.
The policy needs urgent attention. However, all policies require complementary measures. Fore example, in this case these could include adjusting bus routes and reducing bus fares so that the public can ride buses conveniently and at a low cost.
In addition, the city government can promote walking as a means to improve health. As for people who spend most of their time working in offices, they can switch to public transportation, which is safe and comfortable to use.
This is very likely to contribute to the reduction of scooters and improve overall living quality in the city.
Kao Chuan-yi
Taipei
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