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MOTC to amend bike regulations

“Their bicycles are scarily expensive. I don’t think they want to be apart from their bikes.” — Toby Lee, cyclist

The Ministry of Transportation and Communications is amending regulations to allow bus operators to install bike racks on the front of buses.

The Road Safety Traffic Rules (道路安全交通規則) has regulations on bicycles stored on sedans or other types of small-size motor vehicles but none for bus operators wanting to install such devices on the front of their vehicles.

The Department of Railways and Highways is in the process of amending Article 77 of the Road Safety Traffic Rules to add regulations on bike racks.

“Once the amendment is promulgated, bus operators can choose if they want to install [bicycle racks] or not, depending on the needs of their customers,” said Lin Fu-shan (林福山), a section chief at the department.

The size and specifications of the bike racks must meet safety certifications from the semi-official Vehicle Safety Certification Center.

Toby Lee (李建明), a multimedia designer who cycled around the nation last year, welcomed the amendment.

“Biking in the city can sometimes be dangerous because of all the traffic,” Lee said.

“Soon people will be able to take the bus out of the city and start riding again once they reach the suburbs,” he said.

But he said that some of his friends might not like the idea of placing their bikes on the front of a bus.

“Their bicycles are scarily expensive,” Lee said. “I don’t think they want to be apart from their bikes.”

In related news, the Taiwan Railway Administration (TRA) is remodeling some of its train carriages to allow cyclists to board with non-folding bicycles, a plan scheduled to be completed by October.

The measure is mainly designed for passengers wanting to cycle on the east coast.

Currently, the TRA only allows passengers to bring folding bicycles onto trains.
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