The National Freeway Bureau announced on Saturday that it will send a notice on July 1 to Far Eastern Electronic Toll Collection Co (遠通電收) for failing to meet the terms of the agreement stated in its build-operate-transfer contract.
Far Eastern promised in the contract that it would raise the average usage rates of On-Board Units (OBU) at the nation’s toll booths, while the contract also listed specific goals to be achieved at different phases of the contract.
MISSED GOAL
The company has managed to meet the goals set for the first and second phases. However, the third phase goal is to elevate the average usage rate of OBUs to 45 percent by the end of this month. The company has advised the bureau that it cannot meet the stated goal, saying it has so far achieved an average usage rate of only 38 percent.
The bureau’s deputy chief engineer Wu Mu-fu (吳木富) said the notice to be sent on July 1 would advise the company that it has not met the stated goal and ask it to propose a solution to address the situation.
PENALTIES
“If the situation has failed to improve, we could either penalize Far Eastern NT$500,000 per day for failing to meet its target or terminate the contract,” Wu said.
Wu said the bureau would evaluate Far Eastern’s proposed solution and determine a reasonable amount of time for it to be implemented, adding that the solution must not compromise the government’s policy of charging motorists based on the number of kilometers they travel on the nation’s freeways by the end of 2012.
REJECTED PROPOSAL
Earlier this year, Far Eastern proposed that the government should give OBU users discounted toll fees as a way to help raise the average usage rate. That proposal, however, was rejected by the bureau.
Instead, the bureau said Far Eastern should either consider reducing its OBU charges or simply offer free OBUs to motorists.
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
Temperatures in northern Taiwan are forecast to reach as high as 30°C today, as an ongoing northeasterly seasonal wind system weakens, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said yesterday that with the seasonal wind system weakening, warmer easterly winds would boost the temperature today. Daytime temperatures in northern Taiwan and Yilan County are expected to range from 28°C to 30°C today, up about 3°C from yesterday, Tseng said. According to the CWA, temperature highs in central and southern Taiwan could stay stable. However, the weather is expected to turn cooler starting tonight as the northeasterly wind system strengthens again
COOLING OFF: Temperatures are expected to fall to lows of about 20°C on Sunday and possibly 18°C to 19°C next week, following a wave of northeasterly winds on Friday The Central Weather Administration (CWA) on Sunday forecast more rain and cooler temperatures for northern Taiwan this week, with the mercury dropping to lows of 18°C, as another wave of northeasterly winds sweeps across the country. The current northeasterly winds would continue to affect Taiwan through today, with precipitation peaking today, bringing increased rainfall to windward areas, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng (劉沛滕) said. The weather system would weaken slightly tomorrow before another, stronger wave arrives on Friday, lasting into next week, Liu said. From yesterday to today, northern Taiwan can expect cool, wet weather, with lows of 22°C to 23°C in most areas,
Taiwan sweltered through its hottest October on record, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, the latest in a string of global temperature records. The main island endured its highest average temperature since 1950, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng said. Temperatures the world over have soared in recent years as human-induced climate change contributes to ever more erratic weather patterns. Taiwan’s average temperature was 27.381°C as of Thursday, Liu said. Liu said the average could slip 0.1°C by the end of yesterday, but it would still be higher than the previous record of 27.009°C in 2016. "The temperature only started lowering around Oct. 18 or 19
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