|
Car high-occupancy rule will apply during holiday
SWEEPING REGULATIONS:
Aside from the number of people who need to occupy vehicles on highways, the speed limit in Hsuehshan Tunnel will rise 10kph
By Shelley Shan
STAFF REPORTER
Thursday, Mar 29, 2007, Page 2
The Taiwan Area National Freeway Bureau announced yesterday that southbound drivers will have to observe the High Occupancy Control Rule on Tomb-Sweeping Day, whereby each vehicle driving on the national freeways must carry at least three persons.
The bureau said that an estimated 2.3 million vehicles will be operating on the nation's freeways on that single day.
The official Tomb-Sweeping Day falls next Thursday. The holidays will last from next Thursday through April 9.
Meanwhile, motorists who plan to drive through Hsuehshan Tunnel will not be fined so long as their driving speed does not exceed 80kph. The speed limit inside the tunnel is normally 70kph.
Lee Tai-ming (李泰明), the bureau's director general, said yesterday the measure would allow motorists to pass through the tunnel a little faster than normal.
Drivers must still observe a safe driving distance of 50m between vehicles, he added.
Lee said the bureau would also close the merge lanes on each side of the Toucheng (頭城) Toll Collection Station in Ilan County to avoid potential congestion in the surrounding areas.
"Heavy traffic on National Freeway No. 5 [where the tunnel is located] is most likely to occur twice on the April 5 -- once in the morning and again in the late afternoon," he said.
To facilitate transportation during the holidays, toll booths on all national freeways will be closed from midnight to 11am next Thursday and from midnight to 6am between next Friday and April 8.
The bureau also advised people driving from Taipei to Taichung to take the Sun Yet-sen Freeway (National Freeway No. 1), whereas people traveling to Kaohsiung or Pingtung are encouraged to take the Formosa Freeway (National Freeway No. 3) instead.
Motorists are also encouraged to take advantage of the alternative routes to avoid traffic on national freeways. Rather than taking National Freeway No. 5, for example, drivers should opt for the nearby Highway No. 9.
This story has been viewed 1596 times.
|
Print
Mail
wiki links