Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) said yesterday the city government would mobilize traffic police and civil servants to provide assistance in reducing the impact of the Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) upcoming rally.
Hau reiterated that the city government would handle the rally and 24-hour sit-in protest tomorrow and on Monday with a “soft approach,” but warned the DPP that it had to take full responsibility for the social cost of its actions.
The mayor said the DPP was being “irresponsible” in refusing to apply for permission to use Ketagalan Boulevard on Monday.
“I am puzzled and sorry that the DPP has refused to apply for a road permit for Monday. A responsible party should not take such actions,” Hau told a press conference at Taipei City Hall.
To reduce the rally's impact on traffic and public order in areas surrounding the Presidential Office tomorrow and on Monday, the city government will form an emergency response center at Taipei City's Police Department and a command center at the Chiehshou police station, Hau said.
More than 1,000 traffic police, teachers and staffers at the city's environmental protection, health and fire departments will be deployed to direct traffic, accompany students to schools, clean up and provide assistance if case of emergencies during the rally, he said.
“Such a large-scale rally will affect traffic around the area, and the DPP should take responsibility for the huge social cost we have to pay,” Hau said.
Mindful of DPP Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen's (蔡英文) statement that she was prepared to be carried away by the police during the rally, Hau urged the DPP to organize a peaceful demonstration.
“DPP leaders and officials should be prepared to lead a peaceful and rational rally,” he said.
Chen Ming-cheng (陳銘政), director of Zhongzheng First Police Division, declined to comment on whether police would use barricades during the rally. He also refused to say whether police would disperse the protesters if they did not leave on Monday.
Taipei City Police Department's traffic division said that Ketagalan Boulevard would be closed to traffic starting at 8am tomorrow, while Hangzhou N and S roads, Civic Boulevard, Zhonghua Road, Heping E Road and Heping W Road would be closed from 12pm.
More than 70 of the bus services around the city will be rerouted tomorrow. Information on the temporary routes will be posted on bus stops. Passengers can also call Taipei Citizen Hotline at 1999 for information, Taipei City's Transportation Department said.
On Monday, the transportation department will offer free shuttle services at select MRT stations for students at nearby schools. These will be at Exit 1 of Ximen Station and Exit 1 of National Taiwan University Hospital Station at 6:30am, 12pm and 4pm. Students can also find volunteer teachers at the MRT's Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall Station on Monday to walk them to school, it said.
UPGRADE: The Kang Ding-class frigate is replacing its Chaparall missiles with Tien Chien II and Hua Yang VLS, which would provide it with long-range, 360° air defense Taiwan plans to produce 1,200 to 1,376 Hai Chien II missiles (海劍二, Sea Sword II) — also known as TC-2N — to serve as the standard air defense system of the navy’s surface combatant fleet, a source said yesterday. Last week, the Hai Chien II, the naval version of the Tien Kung II missile (天劍二, Sky Sword II), completed a live-fire test in waters off the National Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology’s Jiupeng facility (九鵬) in Pingtung County’s Manjhou Township (滿州). The MIM72 Chaparral and other dated air defense missiles that currently arm Taiwanese ships have inadequate range to combat Chinese
REASONS FOR TRAVEL: An assistant professor said that proposed amendments to penalize drivers if they used drugs overseas would not deter people from traveling People who operate a motor vehicle under the influence of marijuana would have their driver’s license revoked, even if they used the substance while overseas, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday, citing proposed amendments to the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act (道路交通管理處罰條例). The amendments would also authorize the government to revoke the licenses of people determined to have used Category 1 or Category 2 narcotics, even if they were not operating a vehicle while under the influence of drugs, as well as ban them from taking the license test for three years, the ministry said. People aged 18 or
HEAVY WEATHER: Typhoon Jangmi is due to crash straight into the Ryukyus as airlines look to shift flights to larger aircraft or cancel flights to Okinawa entirely Taiwan’s international air carriers announced flight adjustments over the weekend as Typhoon Jangmi is forecast to hit the Ryukyu Islands today and tomorrow. The Central Weather Administration (CWA) upgraded Jangmi from a tropical storm to a typhoon at 8am yesterday, with the eye located 580km south of Naha city. It was moving north at 19kph. Today, China Airlines’ CI-120, CI-121, CI-122 and CI-123 flights between Taoyuan and Naha, Okinawa, have been canceled as well as CI-132 and CI-133 between Kaohsiung and Naha. EVA Air’s BR-112, BR-113, BR-186 and BR-185 flights between Taoyuan and Naha are also canceled. Low-cost carrier Tigerair Taiwan canceled IT-230,
Johanne Liou (劉喬安), a Taiwanese woman who shot to unwanted fame during the Sunflower movement protests in 2014, returned to Taiwan last night after being deported from the US. She is to stand trial in Taiwan for charges involving embezzlement, fraud and drug crimes. The Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) said it took her into custody at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and would first question her before transferring her to the New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office. She was arrested upon disembarking a flight from San Francisco that landed shortly before 7pm. Liou absconded to the US in 2019 after jumping bail
RSS