Last year 11 traffic accidents occurred at the intersection of Jhongshan Rd, Sec 3 and Sinming St in Greater Taichung’s Taiping District because of a failure to put up traffic signals. Greater Taichung City Councilor Huang Hsiu-chu’s efforts paid off when signals were finally installed in January this year, and electricity was applied and paid for. Unexpectedly, however, the lights are still without electricity more than half a year later, making the signals nothing more than decoration. Four more traffic accidents have occurred at the intersection thus far this year. Huang and city council candidate Chang Yu-yen have denounced the Greater Taichung Government and Taiwan Power Co (Taipower) for their apparent ineptitude.
Huang says that traffic accidents frequently occur at the intersection of Jhongshan Rd, Sec 3 and Sinming St because of blind spots. Last year alone there were 11 traffic accidents at the intersection. In March last year Yichang Borough Warden Lin Chin-fa and Sinji Borough Warden Tsai Hsin-fu recommended installing traffic signals at the intersection. The city government obtained the signals and set them up at the intersection at the end of last year. Installation fees were paid to Taipower in Janurary, but the signals still do not have electricity.
Chang says that because the signals are simply being used as ornaments and not lit up, people crossing the street are forced to charge their way across the intersection. Four traffic accidents have happened there this year, she says, adding that firefighters have also been recorded making a dozen rescues. The inefficiency of the agencies in charge is putting people’s lives and property in jeopardy, Chang says.
Photo: Chen Chien-chih, Liberty Times
照片:自由時報記者陳建志
Lin says that cars and motorcycles passing the intersection drive exceptionally fast because that part of the road is relatively straight, and car accidents can happen with the slightest bit of inattention. It is bewildering when one considers how difficult it was to have the traffic signals installed in the first place and that they are not even being put to use, Lin says, adding that he wonders if the signals were simply put up for appearances.
One traffic signal set costs more than NT$400,000, Huang and Chang say, adding that the signals were set up because they needed to be installed. An unexpected lack of communication between Taichung’s Transportation Bureau and Tai-power has apparently left the traffic signals unused.
(Liberty Times, Translated by Kyle Jeffcoat)
Photo: Chen Chien-chih, Liberty Times
照片:自由時報記者陳建志
台中市太平區中山路三段和新明街口,因未裝設紅綠燈,去年發生十一件車禍,經市議員黃秀珠爭取,市府今年一月完成紅綠燈設置,並繳費申請送電;沒想到,半年過去了卻遲未送電,紅綠燈淪為裝飾品,今年至今又發生四起車禍,市議員黃秀珠和市議員參選人張玉嬿斥責市府、台電效率太差。
黃秀珠表示,太平區中山路三段和新明街口,因視線死角而車禍頻傳,光去年就有十一件。去年三月,宜昌里長林進發、新吉里長蔡新福建議裝設紅綠燈,經爭取,市府去年底裝設紅綠燈,今年一月向台電繳交安裝費,沒想到遲未接電。
張玉嬿表示,該路口因紅綠燈未啟用、淪為裝飾品,民眾過馬路橫衝直撞,今年至今已發生四起車禍,消防隊也有十二次救護紀錄,相關單位效率差,已危及民眾生命與財產安全。
林進發表示,因該處道路筆直,通行汽機車速度快,一不小心就會發生車禍,不解好不容易裝了紅綠燈,卻遲遲無法正常運作,質疑是否只是裝好看而已?
黃秀珠和張玉嬿表示,一組紅綠燈造價四十多萬元,因為有需求才設置,沒想到卻因市府交通局和台電聯繫不足,使得紅綠燈遲遲無法運作。
(自由時報記者陳建志)
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