The nation’s new construction head proposed during his swearing-in speech yesterday that mass transport and bicycles should be prioritized over private vehicles in future urban planning decisions.
Yeh Shih-wen (葉世文) was sworn in by Minister of the Interior Liao Liou-yi (廖了以) as director-general of the Construction and Planning Agency under the ministry.
Taking Taipei City as an example, Yeh said future road design schemes should consider scaling down car lanes to make room for parking areas and turning existing parking areas into bike lanes or pedestrian walkways.
Yeh said the controversial idea was only his personal view and the agency would have to review related regulations and communicate with the relevant authorities and local governments before anything more concrete could be proposed.
He said he hoped that road planning, which is done primarily with private cars as the major focus, would be changed in the future.
Yeh used London as an example to better illustrate his thoughts. In preparation for the 2012 Olympic Games, he said, the city reduced the number of car lanes from four to two to make room for bikes and pedestrians and stipulated that private cars had to carry four people to be allowed on roads in certain areas, with a fee that must be paid to enter by car.
Road design should provide a comfortable space for bike users and pedestrians so more people would be encouraged to cycle or walk to public transport, therefore contributing to energy saving, Yeh said.
Shower facilities in office buildings would allow sweaty bike riders to start work dry and clean, he said.
He said the agency would consider including shower facilities in office buildings as part of the “green architecture index” in the future, and would also communicate with the High Speed Rail System and Taipei City’s Department of Rapid Transit Systems to lift restrictions on taking bikes on trains.
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