A Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Taipei City councilor yesterday accused the Taipei City Government of subsidizing local bus companies to purchase hybrid buses from China.
Taipei City’s Department of Transportation subsidized Capital Bus Co’s purchase of 60 hybrid buses from China for use during the 2010 Taipei International Flora Expo, KMT Taipei City Councilor Wang Hao (王浩) said.
The department also spent more than NT$200 million (US$6.2 million) to subsidize the purchase of 265 low-floor buses last year. Some parts of 131 of these buses were made by a factory in China, Wang said.
“The 60 hybrid buses were to be used during the Beijing Olympics, but China sold the buses to Taipei for use in the flora expo instead. In other words, the city government will use products that were made in China to promote an international event organized by Taipei,” he said in a question-and-answer session at Taipei City Hall.
In addition, Taipei Rapid Transit Corp (TRTC) contracted the construction of platform doors at several stations on the city’s MRT Red Line and Blue Line to a local company, which won the bid with an “extremely low price” of NT$145 million.
Wang said the company was able to bring down its price by subcontracting the project to a company in China.
“Even if the use of Chinese products is not illegal, the city officials should have known better. Chinese companies should not be involved in public construction projects in the country’s capital city,” he said.
In response, Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) said the city government would not import any Chinese products banned by the government.
The 131 low-floor buses were assembled in Taiwan in accordance with current regulations, he said.
As for the 60 hybrid buses, Department of Transportation Commissioner Luo Shiaw-shyan (羅孝賢) said the department would rescind the subsidy if the buses had indeed been purchased from China.
TRTC president Tsai Huei-sheng (蔡輝昇) said there was nothing in the Ministry of Economic Affairs’ regulations that prohibited the import of platform doors from China.
The company reported the situation to the ministry for further clarification, and will demand that the contractor refrain from using products banned by the government, Tsai said.
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