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Motorcyclists eschewing newly-built parking bays

For the convenience of motorcycle riders and pedestrians, Taipei City has provided parking bays, but illegal parking on sidewalks remains a problem. PHOTO: GEORGE TSORNG, TAIPEI TIMES

Taipei City residents are not taking to roadside motorcycle parking bays as planners had hoped.

"I'm worried that it might get stolen if I park my motor scooter outside in the bay," said Wu Chen-hua (吳振華), a 20-year-old motorcycle rider living on Chungshan North Road in Shihlin District.

The Taipei City Government has been building the bays to dissuade riders from parking on sidewalks and in shopping arcades.

Outside Wu's apartment building there are several newly constructed motorcycle parking bays. However, most of them are empty while the arcades and sidewalks are full of motorcycles.

"I thought it would more difficult for the thief to move it if I park it in the arcade," he said. "Besides, it's protected from the sun and rain."

Wu said that he agreed with the scheme, but that he was not interested in parking his motor scooter in the designated parking bays.

He said he won't park there "unless I really cannot find anywhere to park, or until the policy becomes compulsory."

"See how fast the cars are going and how close the bay is to the road? I don't park my motor scooter in the parking bay because I'm worried about my own safety and that of my baby."

Mrs Huang, a 25-year-old mother

Another motorcycle rider, surnamed Huang, said she was worried about safety while parking in the designated parking bays.

"See how fast the cars are going and how close the bay is to the road? I don't park my motor scooter in the parking bay because I'm worried about my own safety and that of my baby," the 25-year-old mother of one said.

There are about 960,000 motor scooters in Taipei. However, there are only 90,000 approved parking spaces available, 26,000 of which are designated motorcycle parking bays.

Taipei City Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) promised in his election campaign to ban motorbikes from pedestrian walkways and shopping arcades.

"We will continue the parking scheme because it's well accepted by pedestrians," Ma said. "Besides, it makes the streets look cleaner and more organized."

He added that motorists should learn to respect pedestrians' right of way.

"We don't owe each motorist a parking space. They should be held responsible for solving the parking problem themselves," Ma said. "If motorists find it so difficult to find a parking space, they should consider taking advantage of public transportation."

Statistics show that 57 percent of Taipei's commuters drive a car or ride a motor scooter to work or school. The rest take public transport.

Chen Chin-sheng (陳金盛), secretary-general of the city's Bureau of Transportation, said it was impossible for the city to build sufficient parking for all motorcycles.

"However, they can take advantage of back alleys and lanes," he said. "Unless there are signs forbidding motorcycle parking or there are motorcycle parking bays there, it's not against the law to park motorcycles in back alleys or on arcades and sidewalks," he said.
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