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Former transit chief steps down over Sanchung flooding

Fan Liang-hsiu, the former head of the Taipei City Government's Department of Rapid Transit Systems, has tendered his resignation from his current post as secretary-general of the Taipei City Government -- a post he took up a little more than a month ago -- in the wake of the Sanchung flooding.

Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) has not yet accepted his resignation, saying that it is the current head of the department, Chang Chi-teh (常岐德), who should assume responsibility for the flooding.

Last Thursday, a report by the Taiwan Professional Civil Engineers Association found that the department and contractors were jointly responsible for the major cause of the flooding -- an improperly built temporary retaining wall beside an MRT construction site.

According to original blueprints for the site, the wall was supposed to be 7.7m thick, but as of the time of the flooding a temporary wall only 18cm thick had been installed, the report said.

Heavy rains brought by Typhoon Aere breached the wall, submerging more than one-third of Sanchung in water and leaving about 14,000 households with severe property damage.

Speaking with members of the media on Sunday, Fan emphasized that he had considered leaving politics for some time and that he was prepared to resign in response to public calls for senior members of the government to step down from their positions over the Sanchung flooding.

He said that he did not believe that Chang -- who only became head of the department on Aug. 2 -- should take responsibility.

The Control Yuan is currently investigating Chang regarding the flooding.

Fan is not currently a subject of investigation, but this may change if new information arises.

Chang emphasized that he thought the Department of Rapid Transport Systems had been unfairly scapegoated following the flooding.

He said that contractors had been seeking to alter the original blueprints since December, but that the department had rejected their changes.

The department didn't authorize changes to the retaining wall until July 6, after insisting on various measures to strength-en it, Chang said.

Chang subsequently left the department, and it eventually emerged that contractors had not followed the proposed blueprints.

As for compensation for flooding victims, Ma said that he would abide by the schedule proposed by the Sanchung City government and begin accepting applications for claims by Sept. 15.
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