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Ma hesitant to promise Suhua Freeway

"We don't want to make the same mistakes [the nation made] in the development of west Taiwan. We need to wait for the results of the environmental impact review."

Ma Ying-jeou, KMT presidential candidate

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday declined to promise that he would see through the construction of the Suhua Freeway if elected, insisting that supplementary measures were necessary before construction could proceed.

Environmental groups oppose the construction of the freeway connecting Hualien to Suao in Ilan County on the basis that it would lead to significant damage to the environment. Supporters of the freeway say, however, that the improved infrastructure would boost Hualien's economy by reducing travel time from Taipei to a 90-minute car trip.

In response to local residents asking him to support the construction of the freeway, Ma yesterday said he was concerned about the traffic the freeway would bring, adding that supplementary measures had to be taken to deal with traffic issues before the freeway is built.

"It will be detrimental to Hualien if there are no supplementary transportation measures. People may not like to hear this, but I can't tell a lie to win the election," Ma said during an economic development forum in Hualien.

Without regulations limiting the numbers of visitors and cars to certain tourist attractions and increased parking facilities, the beautiful scenery in Hualien will be damaged by the advent of the freeway, Ma said.

The result of the environmental impact review should also be taken into consideration before construction of the freeway proceeds, Ma said.

"We don't want to make the same mistakes [the nation made] in the development of western Taiwan. We need to wait for the results of the environmental impact review," he said.

Rather than devoting all monetary resources to the construction of the freeway, which would take at least 10 years to complete, Ma proposed putting money into improving transportation between Hualien, Taitung and other areas by expanding train capacity, repairing the Suhua Highway, developing the rental car industry and increasing shuttle services for tourists.

In addition to the improvement of the transportation network in Hualien, Ma also vowed he would budget NT$30 billion for the development of local tourism.

Meanwhile, PFP legislative whip Fu Kun-chi (傅崑萁), who will represent the pan-blue camp in that voter district in the January legislative election, promised to promote the construction of the freeway if elected.

The controversial project to build a Suhua freeway was part of the campaign platform of President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁).

The project passed an environmental impact assessment in 2000 and secured a construction permit in 2002. It was suspended in 2003 by then premier Yu Shyi-kun in response to public opposition.
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