Vice Minister of Transportation and Communications Oliver Yu (游芳來) said yesterday the ministry would finish drafting a proposal setting different freeway toll rates for rush hour and regular hours by the next Lunar New Year holiday.
However, Yu said the policy would not be implemented until 2012, when all motorists would be required to use the Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) system. By then, each motorist will be charged by the distance he travels rather than the number of toll gates he passes through.
At present, motorists are charged NT$40 each time they drive through a toll gate. Motorists purchasing a set of 100 tollway tickets receive a 15 percent discount, but no such offer is given to those using the ETC system. Yu said the ministry has used toll-free hours to divert freeway traffic on holidays, which has proven effective. The ministry intends to adopt a similar strategy to ease traffic on regular days, he said.
The policy has engendered diverse reactions from legislators.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Lee Hung-chun (李鴻鈞) lashed out at Yu, saying the policy was not viable.
KMT Legislator Yang Li-huan (楊麗環) and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Yeh Yi-ching (葉宜津), on the other hand, supported the idea.
Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr arrived in Taiwan last night to kick off his first visit to the country since beginning his second term earlier this year. After arriving at Taoyuan International Airport at around 6:30 pm, Whipps and his delegation were welcomed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍). Speaking to gathered media, the Palauan leader said he was excited and honored to be back in Taiwan on his first state visit to Taiwan since he was sworn in this January. Among those traveling with Whipps is Minister of State Gustav N. Aitaro, Public Infrastructure
President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday thanked Palau for its continued support of Taiwan's international participation, as Taipei was once again excluded from the World Health Assembly (WHA) currently taking place in Switzerland. "Palau has never stopped voicing support for Taiwan" in the UN General Assembly, the WHO and other UN-affiliated agencies, Lai said during a bilateral meeting with visiting Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. "We have been profoundly touched by these endorsements," Lai said, praising the Pacific island nation's firm support as "courageous." Lai's remarks came as Taiwan was excluded for the ninth consecutive year from the WHA, which is being held in
RESOLUTIONS DEBATE: Taiwan’s allies said that UN and WHA resolutions cited by China and other nations ‘do not determine Taiwan’s participation in WHO activities’ A proposal to invite Taiwan to this year’s World Health Assembly (WHA) was rejected on Monday, resulting in Taipei’s absence from the annual meeting for a ninth consecutive year, although partners spoke up for Taiwan’s participation at the first day of the meeting. The first agenda item after the opening was a “two-on-two debate” on a proposal to invite Taiwan to participate at the WHA as an observer. Similar to previous years, two countries made statements in favor of the proposal, while two others expressed their opposition. Philippine Secretary of Health Teodoro Herbosa, president of the 78th WHA, accepted the WHA General Committee’s
At least three people died and more than a dozen were injured yesterday afternoon when a vehicle struck a group of pedestrians in New Taipei City’s Sansia District (三峽). The incident happened at about 4pm when a car rammed into pedestrians at an intersection near Bei Da Elementary School. Witnesses said the sedan, being driven at a high speed, ran a red light, knocking scooters out of the way and hitting students crossing the road before careening into a median near the intersection of Guocheng and Guoguang streets. The incident resulted in three deaths and 13 injuries, including the driver, a 78-year-old man
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