Minister of Transportation and Communications Kuo Yao-chi (
Independent Legislator Chen Chin-ting (
"MOTC officials must have failed math in school," Chen said. "They would rather choose the expensive models and ignore the cheap ones."
People First Party (PFP) Legislator Lee Hung-chun (李鴻鈞) criticized the ministry, saying it had insisted on launching the ETC system despite the low adoption of OBUs.
Anomalies
PFP Legislator Liu Wen-hsiung (
In response, Kuo said she would take full responsibility.
"The government is prepared to recall the [ETC system,]" Kuo said.
The ministry last week set a deadline of today for Far Eastern, the company contracted to set up the system, to increase the installation of OBUs to 100,000, or it would cancel one of the lanes set aside for the ETC.
Yesterday, Kuo said the ministry would not immediately cancel one of the lanes if Far Eastern failed to reach the target.
"It will take about seven to 10 days to inform motorists regarding changes in traffic signs and dividing lines between lanes," she said.
By yesterday, the number of OBUs installed had reached approximately 85,000 units. The goal of having 100,000 OBUs installed remains the same, Kuo said. However, she added that alternative arrangements would be made if Far Eastern was nearing the target.
Meanwhile, the legislature's transportation committee yesterday agreed to set up a special committee to investigate the bidding process for the ETC system.
Hostess bars
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Wei Ming-ku (
Wei said that Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmaker Cho Po-yuan (
The transcripts Wei referred to included phone numbers and dates, and the contents of conversations among Far Eastern representative Tsai Ching-hung (
The contents also included references to other major government projects, such as one with Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp.
Wang refused to comment on the allegations, saying the incident was in the middle of a legal proceeding and that legislators should refrain from speaking about it.
Wei added that Vice President Annette Lu (
Lu yesterday dismissed the allegations.
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
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