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Motorcyclists to protest slow law implementation
HEADING FOR THE HIGHWAY:
Amendments allowing motorcycles onto the expressways that were scheduled to take effect in August have been delayed to December
By Shelley Shan
STAFF REPORTER
Saturday, Jul 21, 2007, Page 4
Owners of large motorcycles said yesterday they will take to expressways across the nation next month to ride in protest against the slow progress made by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) in expanding their road rights.
Wong Da-wei (翁大維), spokesperson of more than 68 motorcycle dealerships across the nation, said that President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) has already promulgated an amendment to Article 92 of the Road Traffic Management and Punishment Law (道路交通規則管理處罰條例) in January, which states that motorcycles with a cylinder capacity exceeding 550cc can use the fast lanes of the roads and can turn left from the left lane instead of crossing and waiting on the right-hand side.
He said both the legislature and MOTC had originally planned to implement the policy in August.
However, the ministry has recently postponed the measure until December, a move which upset many motorcyclists, he said.
Wong said the protest is scheduled to take place on the 11th of next month, and will proceed from Guandu (關渡) north of Taipei City to Dadu Road, Zhongshan N and S Roads, Xinyi Road and Hangzhou S Road to the MOTC building on Renai Road. All of the participating motorcyclists will be riding in the fast lanes, he said.
In addition to the roads in Taipei City, large motorcycles will also be seen on expressways around the nation, including No. 64, No. 66, No. 74, No. 82 and No. 88.
Wong said that motorists would pay any fines incurred as a result of the protest, but they would collectively appeal any traffic citations they receive.
Ho Kuo-rong (何國榮), representative of the National Police Administration, said the campaign shows outright contempt for legal authority.
"They will be fined," he told the Taipei Times.
Chen Yen-po (陳彥伯), Deputy Director General of MOTC's department of railways and highways, said while the president has promulgated the law, relevant regulations must also be in place before they can allow the large motorcycles to be driven on the nation's expressways.
For example, he said, the ministry only began to implement the policy on children's safety seats two years after the president promulgated it.
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