A traffic official yesterday downplayed negative reaction to the National Police Adminstration's new enforcement campaign on the Sun Yat-sen Freeway, saying that there has also been positive public feedback.
"What have been reflected in media reports are mostly negative comments regarding this new enforcement plan, which aims to protect the rights of safe drivers," Chen You-chin (
PHOTO: CHU PEI-TEH, TAIPEI TIMES
The adminstration's 24-hour, stricter enforcement campaign, which began Monday, levies a NT$3,000 fine for five different traffic offenses.
Chen said that by executing the new plan, the government also wishes to improve helicopter patrols, which are already used to provide assistance in the case of major crimes or accidents.
Minister of the Interior Su Jia-chyuan (
"There are simply too many accidents taking place on that highway," Su said. "I don't think anyone will oppose the idea of a stricter traffic law enforcement plan. The details of the plan's execution can definitely be further discussed with related authorities and adjustments can be made."
Su said that using helicopters to spot individual traffic violators might be an ideal strategy, but is not realistic.
"Many people think that the helicopters are used to make arrests of drivers who violate traffic regulations," Su said. "But in reality, how can arrests be done in mid-air? Helicopters can tip off ground patrol about what is going on from an aerial perspective, but actual arrest from the air is not practical," said Su.
Su explained that the main function of the air patrols is to provide real time traffic reports and aid in major crimes, accidents or other incidents on the road.
An increase in Taiwanese boats using China-made automatic identification systems (AIS) could confuse coast guards patrolling waters off Taiwan’s southwest coast and become a loophole in the national security system, sources familiar with the matter said yesterday. Taiwan ADIZ, a Facebook page created by enthusiasts who monitor Chinese military activities in airspace and waters off Taiwan’s southwest coast, on Saturday identified what seemed to be a Chinese cargo container ship near Penghu County. The Coast Guard Administration went to the location after receiving the tip and found that it was a Taiwanese yacht, which had a Chinese AIS installed. Similar instances had also
GOOD DIPLOMACY: The KMT has maintained close contact with representative offices in Taiwan and had extended an invitation to Russia as well, the KMT said The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) would “appropriately handle” the fallout from an invitation it had extended to Russia’s representative to Taipei to attend its international banquet last month, KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday. US and EU representatives in Taiwan boycotted the event, and only later agreed to attend after the KMT rescinded its invitation to the Russian representative. The KMT has maintained long-term close contact with all representative offices and embassies in Taiwan, and had extended the invitation as a practice of good diplomacy, Chu said. “Some EU countries have expressed their opinions of Russia, and the KMT respects that,” he
AMENDMENT: Contact with certain individuals in China, Hong Kong and Macau must be reported, and failure to comply could result in a prison sentence, the proposal stated The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) yesterday voted against a proposed bill by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers that would require elected officials to seek approval before visiting China. DPP Legislator Puma Shen’s (沈伯洋) proposed amendments to the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (臺灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例), stipulate that contact with certain individuals in China, Hong Kong and Macau should be reported, while failure to comply would be punishable by prison sentences of up to three years, alongside a fine of NT$10 million (US$309,041). Fifty-six voted with the TPP in opposition
VIGILANCE: The military is paying close attention to actions that might damage peace and stability in the region, the deputy minister of national defense said The People’s Republic of China (PRC) might consider initiating a hack on Taiwanese networks on May 20, the day of the inauguration ceremony of president-elect William Lai (賴清德), sources familiar with cross-strait issues said. While US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken’s statement of the US expectation “that all sides will conduct themselves with restraint and prudence in the period ahead” would prevent military actions by China, Beijing could still try to sabotage Taiwan’s inauguration ceremony, the source said. China might gain access to the video screens outside of the Presidential Office Building and display embarrassing messages from Beijing, such as congratulating Lai