■ SAFETY
Police warn pedestrians
Pedestrians walking on roads lacking sidewalks should walk on the left side of the road, facing oncoming traffic, a spokesman for the Taipei County Police Bureau said on Friday. Citing bureau statistics, the spokesman said the period between January and last month saw 934 traffic accidents involving pedestrians in Taipei County, resulting in 17 deaths and 919 injuries. He noted that many of the accidents occurred when pedestrians were hit from behind by cars and motorcycles. "We strongly urge pedestrians walking down a road without sidewalks to walk on the left side, so that they can see oncoming cars and avoid injuries," the spokesman said. Another advantage of doing so is that pedestrians, especially women, can avoid falling victim to bag-snatchers on motorcycles, he said.
■ CULTURE
Costume contest under way
A costume design competition aimed at selecting a symbolic costume that best represents the nation's unique cultural characteristics is calling for entries. The first prize winner will be granted a cash award of NT$300,000, said a spokesman for the Taiwanese Costumes and Etiquette Association, which is sponsoring the contest. Almost every country around the world has its own clothing style with distinct ethnic characteristics, such as the Japanese kimono, the spokesman noted, adding that Taiwan also needs to have a costume in its own style. Under the auspices of the Ministry of Interior, the association has publicized the significance of creating a symbolic costume. The spokesman said that the deadline for competition entries is Sept. 30.
■ TRANSPORTATION
Kaohsiung MRT line to open
The Kaohsiung mass rapid transit system's Red Line will open by the end of this year after successful test runs, a spokesman for Kaohsiung Rapid Transit said over the weekend. Queried about the progress on construction of the MRT project, the spokesman said the 118km rail system comprising the Red Line and the Orange Line were almost complete, except for three sections totaling 6km on the Orange Line. The spokesman said that construction on the Orange Line is behind schedule because of a collapsed tunnel near Station 7 and water seeping from an underground wall in Station 1. He predicted that the three unfinished sections would be completed by the end of this year and that passenger services on the line would begin late next year.
■ FOOD SAFETY
Canadian beef back in stores
Boneless Canadian beef has been cleared for importation, the Bureau of Food Safety announced yesterday. The decision, which is effective immediately, was reached after a panel of experts on bovine spongiform encephalopathy (mad cow disease) concluded that the risks to consumers were low. "Only beef fulfilling strict conditions will be approved for importation," bureau Deputy Director Hsieh Ting-hung (謝定宏) said. In order to minimize risks, all beef must be from animals younger than 30 months of age, must be devoid of bone and nervous tissue upon importation and must have come from a slaughterhouse that is compliant with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Every shipment must also be accompanied by certifying document from the agency. Once the beef hits the shelves, they will be clearly labeled and displayed separately as Canadian beef.
STAFF WRITER, WITH CNA";
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