Print

Mail

wiki links

Alishan road opens to minibuses

Minister of Transportation and Communications Mao Chi-kuo (毛治國) said over the weekend that the ministry would aim to make Alishan Highway (Highway 18) accessible to medium-size tour buses by Nov. 20.

“Safety is the top priority,” Mao said. “We will not open the highway to large tour buses if road conditions remain unstable.”

Mao made the remarks as the Alishan National Scenic Administration hosted a ceremony in Chuko (觸口) near Alishan on Saturday to celebrate reopening ­Alishan Highway to minibuses.

To attract visitors, the Tourism Bureau is offering a free shuttle service that will pick up visitors from the high-speed rail station in Taibao (太保), Chiayi County, the Taiwan Railway Administration (TRA) station in Chiayi City and four other locations.

Those who want to use the service must make reservations at least three days in advance. Travelers coming in groups of five to eight can take the shuttle bus service provided by hoteliers. In return, hoteliers will receive NT$1,500 in compensation from the Tourism Bureau for gasoline costs.

Tourism Bureau Director-­General Janice Lai (賴瑟珍) said the government would allow Chinese tourists to go to Alishan when the highway is accessible to medium-size tour buses that can carry 22 to 25 passengers.

If they do not want to wait until then, they can still take minibuses to visit Alishan.

Meanwhile, Mao said on Saturday that the TRA would be in charge of resuming operations on the Alishan Forest Railway, which suffered heavy damage from Typhoon Morakot.

The railway, one of the logging tracks built during the Japanese colonial era, belongs to the ­Forestry Bureau of the Council of Agriculture.

Last year, the Forestry Bureau outsourced the operation of the Alishan Forest Railway to private contractor Hungtu Construction (宏都公司) under the build-operate-transfer (BOT) model.

Neither the Forestry Bureau nor Hungtu have yet begun restoration work because of contract issues.

“If the problems with the BOT contract cannot be settled, the TRA could become responsible for the railway’s operation,” Mao said. “But the railway will still belong to the Forestry Bureau.”

In response, Hungtu said they respected the decision, but would take action based on the terms of the contract.
This story has been viewed 840 times.