The Taipei City Government urged people planning to go to Yangmingshan on weekends for the Yangmingshan Flower Festival to take public transport because stricter traffic control measures will be enforced to avoid a repeat of last weekend’s traffic jams.
The flower festival has caused serious traffic jams along Yangde Boulevard and other roads leading to Yangmingshan National Park.
The Taipei City Department of Transportation said travel time for visitors to the park has doubled and those traveling by car could be stuck in traffic for up to three hours on weekends.
Taipei City’s Traffic Police Department Chief Fang Yang-ning (方仰寧) said his department would deploy more traffic police at major intersections leading to the park and would have four tow trucks on stand-by to clamp down on illegal parking around the park.
Private cars without a Yangmingshan permit will not be allowed to use the road to enter the park between 6am and 4pm, or use it to exit the park between 2pm and 6pm, when access controls are in force, the traffic police said.
“We need to let people know that driving is not a good option,” Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) said yesterday.
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
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