On Feb. 14 there was a special Valentine’s Day activity at Hinoki Village in Chia-yi City. The Chiayi City Vespa Scooter Association, in collaboration with the Chiayi City Commercial District Culture Promotion Association, mustered more than 100 veteran Vespa scooters for a rally, allowing the public to appreciate these retro-style scooters from close up. The Vespa scooters then took to the streets to express the hope that the government would pay attention to what people are saying and not ban two-stroke scooters from using the roads.
As well as the scooter riders showing off their vintage Vespas, with upwards of 100 retro scooters gathered together, the day’s activities also included a Valentine’s Day kissing contest, with five ofr the present married or dating couples invited to demonstrate their sweet affections. The organizers also laid on acts by street performers, a Lantern Festival riddle-guessing contest and other activities. Since the program coincided with the Lunar New Year vacation, it attracted tourists to take part.
Chiayi City Vespa Scooter Association chairperson Hsu Che-chia said that his association has, starting from three years ago, held a Vespa rally of more than 100 scooters every year. As this year’s rally coincided with the Lunar New Year vacation, Vespa owners doing round-Taiwan trips arranged to stop over and take part in the event. Also attending the rally was scooter fan Huang Chin-hui, who owns a 1963-vintage Vespa scooter that still has a number plate 53 years after leaving the factory. Another eye-catching thing was the presence of parents and children riding together in the scooter parade.
Photo: Ting Wei-chieh, Liberty Times
照片:自由時報記者丁偉杰
Scooter enthusiasts said that, because vintage Vespa scooters are all two-stroke models, they were holding this scooter rally in the hope that the government would hear the voice of the public. The riders said that two-stroke scooters are not the main source of PM2.5 air pollution, so they hope the authorities will relax the rules and, where suitable, allow well-maintained scooters on the streets or permit two-stroke vehicles to be ridden on streets other than main roads.
(Liberty Times, translated by Julian Clegg)
二月十四日嘉義市檜意森活村有一場特殊的情人節活動,嘉市偉士牌機車協會結合嘉市商圈文化促進協會,號召上百輛偉士牌老爺車大會師,讓民眾近距離欣賞復古車。隨後,偉士牌老爺車隊遊街,期盼政府重視民眾心聲,莫禁止二行程機車行駛路權。
除車友展示偉士牌老爺車,上百輛經典復古車齊聚,活動更結合情人節舉辦接吻大賽,邀請現場五對夫妻與情侶檔甜蜜曬恩愛,還安排街頭藝人表演、慶元宵猜燈謎等活動,適逢春節假期吸引遊客參與。
嘉市偉士牌機車協會理事長許哲嘉說,該協會從三年前開始,每年都舉辦一場齊聚百輛以上的偉士牌聚會,逢春節假期,有偉士牌車友環島刻意安排停留參加聚會;車友黃錦輝一輛一九六三年份古董車,出廠至今五十三年,還領有牌照,也來參與大會師,另有親子共乘參加車隊遊行,相當吸睛。
車友們表示,由於偉士牌老爺車皆為二行程,舉辦老車車聚,希望政府能重視民眾心聲,二行程機車不是PM2.5污染源的罪魁禍首,希望將設定放寬,在符合條件下,讓保養好的車輛上街或開放非主要道路讓二行程機車行駛。
(自由時報記者丁偉杰)
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