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MOTC mulls trial run for bicycle-friendly city buses

The Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) is considering holding a trial run for bicycle racks installed on the front of city buses.

At a meeting with bus operators, bicycle manufacturers and automobile body and parts manufacturers yesterday, several options for installing bike racks on buses — at the front and back of the bus, inside or by attaching a trailer behind the bus — were discussed said Chen Yen-po (陳彥伯), deputy director general of the ministry’s Department of Railways and Highways.

A consensus was reached on the viability of the proposal of installing bike racks on the front of buses, Chen said, adding that it would be inappropriate to amend relevant traffic regulations now and try to implement it nationwide.

“Some said that since we are doing this for the first time, both passengers and bus drivers will need some time to get used to it,” Chen said.

“Others said traffic in Taiwan was different because we have so many motorcycles on the roads. The ministry must give the matter serious thought before it executes the policy,” he said.

Chen said a ministry taskforce was designing bicycle routes along the East Coast. In a meeting next week, the taskforce will talk about assigning a route reserved for buses equipped with bike racks, Chen said.

“We hope the trial run will start sometime during the summer vacation,” he said.

At the meeting yesterday, participants also agreed to many rules for when the policy is implemented, including the length and width of bicycle racks and removing bicycle accessories when loading the bicycles on the racks.

In related news, MOTC minister Mao Chi-kuo (毛治國) has asked employees to continue working on means to diminish holiday traffic in the Hsuehshan Tunnel.

Chi Wen-chung (祈文中), ­director-general of the Department of Railways and Highways, said the ministry would try to control traffic volume by adopting all possible regulatory measures.

In the meantime, it would increase the utilization of public transportation systems to help divert traffic.
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