The best night markets — determined via a recent national contest — are not entirely friendly to visitors, with insufficient trash cans and unclear signs indicating the location of public restrooms, the Consumers’ Foundation said yesterday.
As part of efforts to promote tourism, the Tourism Bureau in August held a nationwide contest to determine which were the best night markets.
TRASH CANS
However, the consumer rights watchdog said a survey of the top night markets conducted earlier this month showed that four had few or no trash cans.
Despite being rated the “most organized” night market in the contest, Taipei City’s Huaxi Street (華西街) night market had only two trash cans, the foundation said. Tainan City’s Huayuan (花園) night market also put trash cans at only the entrance and in front of restrooms, and had overflowing trash cans that were unattended to. Night markets at Chiayi City’s Wunhua Road (文化路) and Kaohsiung County’s -Jhonghua Street (中華街) did not have any trash cans, which the foundation said was unacceptable.
RESTROOMS
Not only did the Jhonghua Street night market not have a single trash can, the foundation said, but it also did not have public restrooms. Nine of the night markets inspected by the foundation had restrooms, but eight of them received a “below average” rating because there were no clear signs indicating where they were.
The foundation also found that a majority of the -restrooms were dimly lit, unclean or wet, and that two out of three night markets did not have emergency call buttons inside restroom stalls.
The foundation said it was ironic that Yilan County’s Luodong (羅東) night market, rated the most tourist-friendly night market, Kaohsiung City’s Liouhe (六合) night market, rated the most charismatic, and -Jhonghua Street night market did not have adequate parking spaces.
ON THE STREET
Visitors to Keelung City’s -Miaokou Night Market (廟口夜市) — which won the most delicious food award — Huaxi Street, Luodong and Huayuan night markets were sometimes forced to eat at tables in the middle of the road, while pedestrians at Jhonghua Street, Taipei City’s Ningxia (寧夏) and Luodong night markets had to share narrow roads with automobiles and scooters whizzing by.
Foundation chairman Hsieh Tien-jen (謝天仁) said that not only should the government step up inspections and management of night markets, which are among the most popular tourist spots in Taiwan, but that night markets should also make improvements to ensure that visitors have a pleasurable experience.
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