What was intended as a neutral and objective evaluation on the operational capacity of the high speed rail system turned into a screaming match between the nation's highest authority in charge of transportation issues and academics who believe they are the real authority on transportation issues.
In a 2,000-word statement, Lin Zone-ching (林榮慶), the lead inspector evaluating the core system of the high speed rail, said it was regrettable that the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) set the objective that the high speed rail must become operational before the railway could meet all the inspection requirements.
Lin also said that inspectors have tried their best to rectify the 24 major deficiencies that must be corrected before the high speed rail becomes operational. However, the company is unwilling to disclose its records on how they intend to address those deficiencies.
MOTC vice minister of Ho Nuan-hsuen (何煖軒) said yesterday that the ministry has respected the requirements set by the inspectors and kept daily records of the test runs of the high speed rail.
The ministry also dispatched its own representatives to monitor the operating conditions set by the inspectors -- such as trains having to operate at an interval not exceeding four minutes -- even though the inspectors did not require them to send anybody to monitor the operations.
"I fully respect the comments and observations made by the inspectors," he said.
Ho also denied he had prior knowledge of the announcement from Taiwanese representative to Japan Ko Se-kai (
Ko reportedly said yesterday in Tokyo that the high speed rail is expected to pass the inspection this Saturday and to have become fully operational by Jan. 1.
Taiwan is to receive the first batch of Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 jets from the US late this month, a defense official said yesterday, after a year-long delay due to a logjam in US arms deliveries. Completing the NT$247.2 billion (US$7.69 billion) arms deal for 66 jets would make Taiwan the third nation in the world to receive factory-fresh advanced fighter jets of the same make and model, following Bahrain and Slovakia, the official said on condition of anonymity. F-16 Block 70/72 are newly manufactured F-16 jets built by Lockheed Martin to the standards of the F-16V upgrade package. Republic of China
Taiwan-Japan Travel Passes are available for use on public transit networks in the two countries, Taoyuan Metro Corp said yesterday, adding that discounts of up to 7 percent are available. Taoyuan Metro, the Taipei MRT and Japan’s Keisei Electric Railway teamed up to develop the pass. Taoyuan Metro operates the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport MRT Line, while Keisei Electric Railway offers express services between Tokyo’s Narita Airport, and the Keisei Ueno and Nippori stations in the Japanese capital, as well as between Narita and Haneda airports. The basic package comprises one one-way ticket on the Taoyuan MRT Line and one Skyliner ticket on
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A new tropical storm formed late yesterday near Guam and is to approach closest to Taiwan on Thursday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Tropical Storm Pulasan became the 14th named storm of the year at 9:25pm yesterday, the agency said. As of 8am today, it was near Guam traveling northwest at 21kph, it said. The storm’s structure is relatively loose and conditions for strengthening are limited, WeatherRisk analyst Wu Sheng-yu (吳聖宇) said on Facebook. Its path is likely to be similar to Typhoon Bebinca, which passed north of Taiwan over Japan’s Ryukyu Islands and made landfall in Shanghai this morning, he said. However, it