The Executive Yuan yesterday announced that Deputy Minister of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) Chang Cheng-yuan (張政源) is stepping down to assume the post of Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) director-general.
The change — effectively a demotion from a deputy minister to an agency director — is part of the government’s efforts to reform the TRA following a derailment on Oct. 21 that killed 18 passengers and injured 190.
Chang used to work at the TRA and is now returning to the railway agency to reform it after serving in the second-highest position at the ministry, the Executive Yuan said, adding that he does not carry the “baggage” of the TRA, despite being a former TRA employee.
Photo: Peter Lo, Taipei Times
“The ministry originally considered allowing Chang to serve as acting TRA director-general while maintaining his position as deputy minister, but doing so would contravene regulations governing the appointment of government personnel,” the Executive Yuan said in a statement.
However, Chang does not mind taking on a lower position and being paid a lower salary, the statement said, adding that he has resigned as deputy minister to become the TRA director-general.
“We thank him for accepting this commission voluntarily and hope that he can successfully implement reforms at the TRA,” it said.
Photo: Peter Lo, Taipei Times
With a doctoral degree from National Chiao Tung University’s Department of Transportation and Logistics Management, Chang was the station master at the Taipei Railway Station from 1987 to 1991.
He also served as tourism division director at the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York and Tainan Bureau of Transportation chief during Premier William Lai’s (賴清德) tenure as city mayor and was later promoted to Tainan deputy mayor.
MOTC Minister Wu Hong-mo (吳宏謀) told a news conference that the ministry had asked Chang his opinion about leading the TRA.
“He was very passionate about it and said that he was capable of doing the job. As the TRA’s operations are now under heavy public scrutiny after the accident, we decided to choose someone from a higher official to handle this matter,” Wu said.
Speaking about the TRA’s reforms, Wu said that 1,907 of the 2,818 job vacancies approved by the Executive Yuan have been filled, some of whom are undergoing training for their new jobs.
An estimated 3,000 new employees would be added to the workforce in two years, Wu said.
The ministry would also utilize the funds from the annual budget allocated to the TRA as well as from the Forward-Looking Infrastructure Development Program to reduce operational risk on certain railway sections, including those that sharp curves or that are frequently damaged by landslides, Wu said.
Regarding standard operating procedures for deactivating the automatic train protection (ATP) system — a device that ensures train drivers stay within the speed limit set for each section — Wu said that the TRA does not have clear regulations on the speed limit when the ATP is turned off.
“Until the agency issues clear regulations on this matter, Puyuma Express and Taroko Express trains are to have two train drivers on board instead of one,” Wu said, adding that the change would take effect today.
Chang was yesterday in Taitung to meet with relatives of those who died in the train derailment when the Executive Yuan announced his appointment.
He later said in an interview with local media that an ad hoc task force is now stationed in Taitung to help injured passengers with their medical treatment and families of the deceased with funeral arrangements.
The task force would also assist the families in seeking compensation from the TRA, he said.
Chang vowed to help boost TRA employees’ morale and to ensure that the agency strictly adheres to safety procedures.
He said he would also help the TRA regain the public’s trust and respect.
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and the premier have vowed to find the cause of the accident, Chang said, adding that he hoped the public would support the TRA and give it more encouragement.
The ministry’s promise was met with doubts from members of Taiwan Railway Union.
“It does not matter who the new TRA director-general is going to be if the agency keeps rejecting reforms,” union secretary Hsiao Nung-yu (蕭農瑀) said.
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