Minister of Transportation and Communications Tsai Duei (
Tsai said that the Institute of Transportation would study the issue, adding that experts at the institute were expected to present conclusions and suggestions in the near future to help the ministry shape its policy on promoting cycling.
Tsai said that his ministry would ask city governments to study whether cycling lanes should be included when building new roads and whether cyclists should be allowed to use sidewalks to facilitate the promotion of cycling as an alternative mode of transport. He also said that the Taipei City Government had been studying whether to make helmets mandatory for cyclists.
Tsai made the remarks in Taitung City during an inspection of construction work on a highway connecting the inland township of Yuli (
Construction of the 16.26km highway, dubbed the Yuchang Highway, is nearing completion, he said, adding that the highway may be open as early as the end of this month if it passes engineering and safety inspections.
The east coast area and the East Rift Valley -- encompassing Hualien and Taitung counties -- are separated by a mountain range running from north to south.
Currently, it takes about two hours to drive from Yuli, which is located inland in the north of the East Rift Valley, to Taitung's Changping, a coastal township facing the Pacific Ocean.
The Yuchang Highway, which will include a 2.6km tunnel, will reduce travel time between the two townships to about 30 minutes, Tsai said.
POLAM KOPITIAM CASE: Of the two people still in hospital, one has undergone a liver transplant and is improving, while the other is being evaluated for a liver transplant A fourth person has died from bongkrek acid poisoning linked to the Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) restaurant in Taipei’s Far Eastern Sogo Xinyi A13 Department Store, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said yesterday, as two other people remain seriously ill in hospital. The first death was reported on March 24. The man had been 39 years old and had eaten at the restaurant on March 22. As more cases of suspected food poisoning involving people who had eaten at the restaurant were reported by hospitals on March 26, the ministry and the Taipei Department of Health launched an investigation. The Food and
A fourth person has died in a food poisoning outbreak linked to the Xinyi (信義) branch of Malaysian restaurant chain Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) in Taipei, Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Victor Wang (王必勝) said on Monday. It was the second fatality in three days, after another was announced on Saturday. The 40-year-old woman experienced multiple organ failure in the early hours on Monday, and the family decided not to undergo emergency resuscitation, Wang said. She initially showed signs of improvement after seeking medical treatment for nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, but her condition worsened due to an infection, he said. Two others who
MEDICAL: The bills would also upgrade the status of the Ethical Guidelines Governing the Research of Human Embryos and Embryonic Stem Cell Research to law The Executive Yuan yesterday approved two bills to govern regenerative medicine that aim to boost development of the field. Taiwan would reach an important milestone in regenerative medicine development with passage of the regenerative medicine act and the regenerative medicine preparations ordinance, which would allow studies to proceed and treatments to be developed, Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Victor Wang (王必勝) told reporters at a news conference after a Cabinet meeting. Regenerative treatments have been used for several conditions, including cancer — by regenerating blood cells — and restoring joint function in soft tissue, Wang said. The draft legislation requires regenerative treatments
Taiwanese should be mindful when visiting China, as Beijing in July is likely to tighten the implementation of policies on national security following the introduction of two regulations, a researcher said on Saturday. China on Friday unveiled the regulations governing the law enforcement and judicial activities of national security agencies. They would help crack down on “illegal” and “criminal” activities that Beijing considers to be endangering national security, according to reports by China’s state media. The definition of what constitutes a national security threat in China is vague, Taiwan Thinktank researcher Wu Se-chih (吳瑟致) said. The two procedural regulations are to provide Chinese